ACCIDENTS, DISEASES, PARASITES. 161 



Sea winds have also a dangerous action on vines planted 

 near the coast when they blow with a certain strength. 

 They carry small particles of salt, which are deposited 

 on the leaves, and disintegrate their margins, which dry off. 

 Plantations made in sand on the sea coast are more specially 

 exposed to this accident. The best means of protecting 

 them is to plant bamboo hedges or make bush fences, which 

 diminish the strength of the winds and arrest the greater 

 part of the salt they carry. 



(D.) NON-SETTING. 



The word non-setting applies to abortive flowers which 

 fall before forming a berry. This phenomenon may be the 

 result of three distinct causes 1st. Abnormal constitution 

 of the flowers. 2nd. Excessive vegetation. 3rd. Unfavor- 

 able atmospheric conditions. 



1st. Non-setting resulting from abnormal constitution of 

 the flowers. The vine flower may be regarded as complete 

 when it is hermaphrodite and has a corolla in the shape of 

 a hood detaching from the base (Fig. 139). These alone can 

 bear fruit. The male flowers (Fig. 1 40), which are characterized 



Fig. 139. Hermaphrodite Fig. 140. Male flower. Fig. 141. Sterile 



vine flower. flowers. 



by the abortion of the pistil, the great length of the fila- 

 ments of the stamens, and a very sweet scent, are naturally 

 sterile ; but besides these forms which may be considered as 

 normal, as they are commonly found in wild species, there 

 are abnormal forms which are generally sterile. 



These flowers have been studied by Mares and Planchon. 

 They are characterized (Fig. 141) by an indeciduous corolla 

 opening like a star ; the stamens are generally found in the 

 petals, which are thick and hollow ; the filaments are too 

 short to allow the anther to reach the stigma. Finally, the 

 anthers themselves are imperfectly dehiscent and contain 



10890. L 



