ACCIDENTS, DISEASES, PARASITES. 165 



stripping the leaves a few days before vintage. This opera- 

 tion consists in removing some of the leaves so as to facilitate 

 the circulation of air, stripping in preference the leaves 

 growing under the bunch, and not those above it. The fruit 

 is therefore submitted to the action of air currents and of 

 greater heat reflected by the soil, which helps the comple- 

 tion of maturation, which is generally very imperfect in 

 regions where yrey-rot is prevalent. Lime may also be 

 spread over the grapes, but, unluckily, the introduction of 

 lime in the vintage constitutes a danger in fermentation. 



2xD. DISEASES DUE TO FUNGI. 



The pricipal parasitic fungi attacking vines are : 

 Oidiim, Anthracnosis, Mildew, Black-rot, Coniothyrium, and 



Pourridic. 



(A.) OIDIUM. (0. Tuckeri or Erysiphe Tuckeri.) 



Vines attacked by oidium may be recognised by the fol- 

 lowing symptoms : The green parts are covered with a 

 whitish dust; after a while grey spots appear on the places 

 attacked, and if no remedy is applied to the plant the canes 

 seem to become stunted, the leaves fall prematurely, and the 

 berries become cracked and dry, losing all their value. Certain 

 species and varieties of vines seem to be more liable than 

 others to the attacks of this parasite. For instance, while 

 the V. Labrusca is not attacked at all, V. ^Estivalis is slightly 

 attacked ; V. Vinifera suffers, on the contrary, greatly, 

 especially certain cpages, such as Carignane and Piquepouls; 

 Grenache, Alicante, and Morrastel resist better. 



Hot and damp weather favours the development of oidium. 

 Vines trained on high trellises suffer most, for they arrest 

 better than others the spores of this cryptogam, which are 

 carried by the wind. 



Sulphur is generally used to combat oidium. At the 

 beginning sublimed sulphur or flowers of sulphur alone was 

 used. Triturated or bolted sulphur are now used ; they are 

 cheaper, remain more adherent to the leaves, and do not 

 injure the eyes of the workmen to the same extent. 



Sulphuring is done by means of different devices : 



1st. A kind of sand-box (Fig. 144) made of tin, and 

 having the shape of a cone, the. bottom being perforated. 

 The box is filled with sulphur, and the machine shaken over 



