THE GENESEE FARMER, 



185 





SITLPmrR FOR MILDEV/ ON THE GKAPE. 



rnEx at Qaincy, III., last summer, we recom- 

 ided to a gentleman whose grape vines Avere 

 :h affected by mildew, the use of sulphur; and 

 low writes us for more definite information in 

 ird to its action, and the manner of application, 

 owdered sulphur dusted on the affected parts, 

 for many years, been known as a remedy for 

 lew on the peach. It is only since 184:6 that 

 grape mildew has attracted much attention ; 

 since then, its ravages, some years, have been 

 stensive in the wine districts of Europe as to 

 te mirch alarm, but it is now demonstrated that 

 judicious application of sulphur is a certain 

 sdy — and the only one. 



be object to be aimed at in applying the sul- 

 r, is merely to bring it in contact with the mil- 

 . This can be done by simply throwing the 

 hur on the vines and bunches. Quite a number 

 nachine?, called sulphurators, have been in- 

 :ed in England for this purpose, resembling, 

 ewhat, a miniature fanning-mill — the sulphur 

 g scattered on the plants by the force of the 

 i. They are used extensively in the English 

 ■yards — sulphur being found equally effectual 

 remedy for the hop mildew, 

 ilphur volatalizes rapidly at 180°, and the fumes 

 roy the mildew. In greenhouses, therefore, a 

 1 method is to scatter sulphur on the hot water 

 s, or whitewash them with a mixture of four 

 :es of sulphur (black sulphur is considered the 

 ) and four ounces of quick lime, dissolved in 

 ;e gallons of water, closing the house afterwards 

 1 thirty minutes to an hour, according to the 

 lence of the disease. If sulphur is ignited, snl- 

 rous acid gas is formed, which destroys the leaves, 

 ,'ell as the mildew. It will not do, therefore, 

 urn the sulphur. 



ulphur is insoluble in water. But if one pound 

 owers of sulphur, and an equal measure of quick 

 >, aro boiled for ten minutes in a glazed earthen 

 with five pints of water, hyposulphite of lime 

 >rmed, which is very soluble. It should be con- 



stantly stirred while boiling. It is then allowed to 

 settle, and the clear liquid is, when cool, ready for 

 use, after being mixed with one hundred parts of 

 water. The vines are syringed with this water. 

 This is effectual, economical, and easily applied on 

 a large scale. 



This hyposulphite of lime may easily be obtained 

 by leaching the refuse lime of the gas-works. The 

 hyposulphite is very soluble, and the less water 

 used for the purpose the better, in order to avoid 

 dissolving other substances. It should afterwards 

 be largely diluted with water, and applied with the 

 syringe, as before recommended. 



If seven pounds of sulphur and one pound of 

 lime are boiled in water for several hours, penta- 

 sulphuret of calcium is formed. This substance con- 

 tains about eighty per cent, of sulphur, and is quite 

 soluble in water. We have never seen it recom- 

 mended for mildew, but think it eminently worthy 

 of trial. It is the sulphur, and not the lime, that 

 is the effective agent; and the less of the latter in 

 proportion to the former the better. The penta- 

 sulphuret of calcium contains more than ten times 

 as much sulphur, in proportion to the lime, as the 

 hyposulphite of lime. It approximates closely to 

 a solution of sulphur. 



"We hope some of our readers will experiment 

 with this compound, not only on the vine, but on 

 the gooseberry, the mildew of which is closely* 

 allied to that of the grape. It is not improbable, 

 too, that it would be useful in preventing the crack- 

 ing of tho pear, which is now generally conceded' 

 to b© caused by a fungus. 



SINGING THE VINE. 



In 1857, M. Bottrgeois called the attention of 

 the Paris Horticultural Society to his experiments 

 in ringing the grape vine, and stated that the pro- 

 cess, under proper conditions, caused the grapes to 

 ripen a fortnight earlier, and to produce larger 

 berries. A committee was appointed to visit his 

 grounds, near Ramboillet, and they jniblished a re- 

 port confirming in the main the statements of M. 



BOUEGEOIS. 



Since then the subject has excited considerable 

 interest in France and also in England. Numer- 

 ous experiments have been made, and the results 

 are on the whole very favorable. At the meeting 

 of the Paris Horticultural Society, last autumn, M. 

 Bourgeois exhibited several pieces of bearing Avood, 

 each with two or three shoots, some of which had 

 been ringed and the others left to themselves. Tho 

 latter liad only bunches in the common condition, 

 while the contiguous ringed shoot bore a superb 



