THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 77 



give abundance of air, to expel it, by wbich means the moist- 

 ure evaporated is carried off. 



Page 137. Mr. J. D. Parkes, F. H. S., Nurseryman, 

 Dartford. " A variety of causes have been assigned for that 

 disease in forced grapes which produces a shrivelled appear- 

 ance in the footstalks of the bunches, more especially in the 

 Frontignans and Muscats. Some consider that it proceeds 

 from the roots being too deep in the ground ; others think 

 that it is occasioned by the temperature of the earth in which 

 the root grows (when vines are planted outside the house) 

 being so much lower than that of the atmosphere within ; and 

 some attribute the disease to a want of air. 



" Having observed that early-forced grapes are, in general, 

 free from this disease, and that it never occurs to grapes 

 grown in the open air, and having found, in a house under 

 my care, that some bunches immediately over a steam-pipe 

 were free from it, I have come to the conclusion that the 

 cause is stagnation of cold moist air ; and the remedy, the 

 application of artificial heat, to such an extent (even in sum- 

 mer, when the weather is cloudy,) as to admit, every warm 

 day, of opening the windows sufficiently to occasion a free 

 circulation of air. A gardener, to whom I stated this as my 

 opinion of the subject, has practised my plan, every year 

 since, with the most complete success." 



Vol. 11, p. 493, the same author remarks : " In the paper 

 sent you and printed in vol. 10, page 137, you omitted to 

 insert what I think the most important matter. In the paper 

 alluded to, I considered it was from the footstalk of the berry 

 not being grown sufiiciently firm and hard, which I believe is 

 the only cause. If the grape is grown in a humid atmos- 

 phere, it elongates the footstalk, and causes it to be of a slen- 

 der, thin, dehcate texture, and, in case of a sudden change, 

 even for a short time, the footstalk is easily affected. When 

 this injury takes place, as I beheve, from the delicacy of the 

 footstalk, the sap ceases to circulate in the manner required. 

 I think this disease may be remedied by keeping the early- 



