Hopes and 



GRAPE MANUAL. 



Results. 61 



Delaicare, very rarely subject to rot, while it is 

 very susceptible to mildew, would be one of our 

 most valuable and profitable grapes to grow. 



Thus we both said : Let us not despair of grape 

 culture; let us hope that the remedies discovered 

 will prove of great service as preventives against 

 the diseases of our grape. 



Was our hope not well founded? Let us hear 

 what the very eminent grape-giowers, whose la- 

 ment we quoted, say to-day. 



Ah'x. W. Pearson, of Vineland, N. J., writes us 

 (January 8, 1894). referring to his "Ironclad": 

 (see description) '-rot-proof quality is not so im- 

 portant now, since our discovery of success in 

 sprcnjing, to prevent grape rot. I can hardly add 

 any to the information on the subject, published 

 l)y the Department of Agriculture, unless it be to 

 approve the Bordeaux mixture, applied early and 

 thoroughly to the vine.'' — '-The time to prevent 

 grape rot is by the spraying of the vine before it 

 blooms and when it is in bloom. My spraying is all 

 done before the grapes are larger than No. 4 

 shot." — "With the Bordeaux thus used my success 

 the past two years has been complete, as against 

 grape rot, but not so good versus mildev).'''' "How- 

 ever, full fertilization with ashes, lime and nitrate 

 soda will enable vines to do well enough against 

 mildew." 



Hermann Jaeger, of Neosho, Mo., reported to 

 our State Horticultural Society: "More than nine- 

 tenths of the varieties usually mentioned in the 

 catalogues of our nurserymen had proven unprofit- 

 able here, owing to rot or mildew, or both of 

 these fungus diseases. Now we can grow them 

 to perfection. Three years' spraying has secured 

 me fine crops of about fifty varieties of grapes 

 that I had been considering utterly worthless. 

 Four years ago my Delaware vines were almost 

 killed by mildew. Since then I have sprayed 

 them regularly. They improved every season, 

 kept their foliage till frost, and now make a finer 

 growth of wood and produce more and better 

 grapes than ever before. . . . Both black rot and 

 mildew are under our control, and if we continue 

 to have our grape crops ruined by these pests it is 

 our own fault." 



George W. Campbell, as President of the Ohio 

 State Cultural Society, said last fall (1893). in an 

 address delivered before the students of agricul- 

 ture: ''I can hardly close without referring to the 

 alarming and discouraging encroachments of fun- 

 gus diseases, which have in many places de- 

 stroyed our grapes as well as other cultivated 

 fruits. I feel that we owe a debt of gratitude for 

 the labors of scientific men in our colleges and 

 experiment stations for their careful investiga- 

 tions and discover}' of remedies to meet and 

 successful!}^ combat these insidious destroyers. 

 Through the agency of their beneficent efforts we 

 may hope to grow our grapes and other fruits still 

 nearer perfection and also to raise successfully 

 many of the finer varieties, which have been 

 hitherto prevented by reason of being more sus- 

 ceptible to the attacks of parasitic fungi." 



After such testimony it would be useless to add 

 more, though we could fill many pages with them .* 



*And yet, we have no doubt that the ever active 

 etTorts of man, scientists and practical viticulturists, 

 will discover new, and perhaps, more etfective reme- 

 dies. But we would warn against experimenting with 

 any which may be introduced and advertised by inter- 

 ested manufacturers only, or praised by over sanguine 

 inventors. Hundreds of such pretended remedies have 

 Ijeen tried and proved worthless, or at least not near as 

 etfective and reliable as the Bordeaux mixture. It is 

 therefore merely as a matter of latest information 



We will close, however, with some important re- 

 marks by that practical and careful experimenter 

 and observing grape-grower, Hermann Jaeger : 

 "Nothing could have pleasei us better than the 

 fact established after three years' experimenting 

 with copper remedies, under the direction of our 

 National Department of Agriculture, the fact that 

 not only mildew, but likewise the still more fatal 

 pest of black rot, are under our control, and can 

 both be entirely prevented by correct spraying 

 with Bordeaux mixture aud the other copper so- 

 lutions. . . . Last summer it required from five to 

 eight sprayings to keep our vines free from rot 

 and mildew. A neighbor of ours, who postponed 

 his spraying because the incessant rains would be 

 sure to wash off the solution, made almost a com- 

 plete failure, as another neighbor, who argued 

 spraying was useless until dry weather had set in, 

 because 'the rain would wash away all rot and 

 mildew from the fruit.' Just such mistakes as 

 these are to blame for all failure in spraying 

 grape-vines, for wherever fruit and foliage are 

 covered with a copper solution, the germination 

 of the spores or seeds of the fungi causing rot and 

 mildew Is impossible. But just as impossible it is 

 for any spray to be of the least benefit if applied 

 after this germination has taken place. Wlien by 

 naked eye we can discover the least trace of mil- 

 dew or rot, it proves that we should have com- 

 menced spraying at least ten days before." The 

 way to prepare and apply the sprays is fully and 

 ably described in the preceding article, written 

 for this catalogue by B. T. Galloway, the chief of 

 the Division of Pathology of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture — while the two small 

 cuts, representing : ''•G-rapes tcithout and after treat- 

 ment^'' maybe conspicuous object lessons, which 

 everyone of our grape-growers will recognize. 



without recommendation that this catalogue reports 

 the following: 



In an article published in the " Vigne Americaine" 

 of June, 1894, also in the " Messager Agricole" of July, 

 1894, (quelques reflexions sur le traitement (hi mildew par les 

 .se?s rfe cMiyrei, reviewing the different copper salt solu- 

 tions which are employed ijy the French vineyardists, 

 pi-eference is given to one' prepared hy a solution of 

 powdered Acetate of copper (refined) called "verdet 

 neutre." It is said to have made for itself an import- 

 ant plHce in the vineyards of France, to the detriment 

 of the other processes adopted in the different regions. 

 The verdet neutre is the strongest (most toxique) 

 of all copper salts; its destructive action on the fun- 

 gus, which forms the liase of the disease, shows it- 

 self rapidly. The complete solubility of the verdet 

 neutre facilitates its penetration in the tissue of the 

 leaves, whicli explains the rapidity of its action. The 

 treatment with this copper salt does not only arrest the 

 disease, but causes its prompt disappearance, by de- 

 stroying the germs of the evil. It is harmless to the 

 vegetable organic tissue; one has to fear no liurning or 

 scalding of the leaves, as in some other copper prepara- 

 tions. The manner of preparing the solution of verdet 

 neutre is quite simple; it dissolves in cold water, by 

 simply stirring it foi' five or six minutes witli asticlc; 

 the tine and light powder is reduced to a very small 

 volume, but by its nature is very powerful, because all 

 that enters into its chemical constitution contrilmtes 

 to the destruction of the parasite. The ease of the 

 treatment is surprising, Ijecause of the facility of prep- 

 aration and application of verdet neutre. If at first 

 appearance its price seems high, one will see quickly 

 tliat, because of the small quantity necessary, one real- 

 izes rather a saving. On the other hand the consider- 

 able saving in labor, the dispensing of incidental ex- 

 penses connected witli tlie preparations in the other 

 methods, are items which should be kept in view in cal- 

 culating the total cost. 



Verdigris (or verdet neutre?) has been pretty thor- 

 oughly tried in this country and has not proved as 

 efficient as Bordesiux mixture. Another curative solu- 

 tion " Vini Viiine." lately discovered in this country, 1)y 

 Dr. L. C. Chisholm of Tennessee is confident y looked 

 upon by him ; but he will not introduce it nor offer any 

 for sale before it will be fully tested and reliably 

 endorsed. 



