78 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



making careful observations of the varieties grown and methods fol- 

 lowed in the culture, curing, and marketing of this crop. Professor 

 Lake secured trees and scions of a number of varieties of prunes and 

 mirabelle plums that promise to be of value in various sections of the 

 country. These have been placed with a number of careful experi- 

 menters for trial. An interesting report on the methods of growing, 

 curing, and marketing of prunes in the countries visited by Professor 

 Lake in the course of this investigation is now in press and will soon 

 be issued as a bulletin of this office. 



EUROPEAN TABLE GRAPES IN SOUTH ATLANTIC STATES. 



The small experimental vineyards of European table grapes on 

 resistant stocks in Florida and North Carolina have been maintained 

 during the year. That at Earleton, Fla., continues to give promising 

 indications of ultimate success in the effort to introduce the culture 

 of this delicious fruit into sections where the winters are mild and 

 the rains at the ripening time not excessive. The remarkably vigor- 

 ous wood growth of most varieties on resistant stocks at Earleton 

 leaves little doubt* regarding the congeniality of the climate in that 

 respect, and an abundant crop of fruit set on the two-year-old vines 

 of many varieties in the vineyard testified to their productiveness 

 under the methods of fertilizing, pruning, cultivating, and spraying 

 practiced there. 



Some trouble from mildew and black rot was experienced this sea- 

 son, but not more than may be reasonably considered within the 

 range of control by modern spraying methods. The most serious 

 difficulty experienced there this year was the effect of the unusually 

 heavy and long-continued summer rains. These began in May, much 

 earlier than usual, and continued through June and July with little 

 intermission, causing much bursting of fruit about to ripen. Owing 

 to the lateness of the opening of spring in the South this year the 

 injury to the fruit was probably disproportionately large, as the 

 rains came on before any but the very earliest varieties were ripe. 

 N otwithstanding this, several varieties have given evidence of dis- 

 tinct value for Florida and adjacent sections. These will be propa- 

 gated on resistant roots for further experimental distribution. 



The North Carolina vineyard is in less promising condition. It 

 suffered from the effects of the severe drought of the summer of 1900, 

 and again during the present season from an epidemic of black rot, 

 which was not controlled by the spraying methods practiced, either 

 on the vinifera vines or the large commercial vineyards of Niagara 

 in the same region. The problem of disease control will receive spe- 

 cial attention at this vineyard during the present fiscal year, and 

 it is hoped that in cooperation with the Pathologist and Physiologist 

 methods of treatment may be devised through which this disease 

 may be more successfully combated there. Fruit of a considerable 

 number of varieties was successfully matured, however, at this vino- 

 yard, and several sorts are considered very promising for further test. 



Some of the newly introduced Franco- American hybrids of Euro- 

 pean and American grapes, designated "direct producers" by the 

 French, promise to have distinct value in the South, and will be dis- 

 tributed for testing in other grape-growing sections. These hybrids, 

 while producing fruit of good quality, are at the same time resistant 

 to Phylloxera, thus rendering the grafting process unnecessary in 

 vineyard practice. 



