DISEASES, INSECTS, AND FROSTS. 21 



by others called the bitter rot, is a large circular spot on the 

 side of the grape, looking as if caused by the sting of an 

 insect, and extending to the seed on one side of the berry, 

 while the other is uninjured ; but owing to this wound, or 

 speck, the juice will be bitter. This has been attributed to 

 the action of the sun on the fruit when covered with rain or 

 dew-drops. 



The vine is so remarkably healthy, and of such luxuriant 

 growth in almost any proper soil, that diseases at the root are 

 almost unknown here. Mr. Schuman states that a white 

 worm resembling the peach-tree worm, is sometimes found 

 eating off the young roots of the vine, and Mr. Mottier has 

 also found and destroyed it — but it is rarely met with in 

 vineyards. 



The Insects found most annoying, are a green ivorm that 

 feeds on the vines just as the fruit-buds appear, and before 

 they blossom, eating off the tender bunches, and doing great 

 mischief if not promptly destroyed. The Canker, or Measur- 

 ing Worm (of which the above may be a variety) is some- 

 times found on the leaves and young shoots. The Curculioy 

 so destructive to the plum, has occasionally been found on 

 the grapes ; they can be readily shaken down on a sheet, by 

 a sudden blow on the stake, and destroyed. If ever per- 

 mitted to get domesticated in a vineyard, this insect would be 

 immensely destructive. 



The Rose-bug, Dr. Shaler says, has been observed in 

 some vineyards in Kentucky, but it is rarely met with 

 here. 



For the last two years, an insect resembling the rose-bug, 

 but smaller, and of the same family (melolontha), has been 

 discovered in several vineyards in this vicinity, eating off the 

 upper surface of the leaf, and causing the veinous fibers left 

 to look like a sieve. The writer destroyed those in his vine- 

 yard, last year, by shaking them off the vines into buckets 

 partly filled with strong lime-water. This was accomplished 



