22 CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



in a week, killing three hundred to four hundred thousand 

 from six acres, at an expense of twenty-seven dollars. 



Next year they will scarcely be so numerous in this vine- 

 yard. 



A large hrown beetle, or bug, will frequently sting the young 

 tender branches of the vine in summer, making a wound that 

 subjects the branch to be broken off by strong winds. They 

 can be watched and picked off, late in the evening or early in 

 the morning. All horticulturists are familiar with the spring 

 and early fall caterpillar, and of course, would not permit 

 either to get a foothold in the vineyard. 



Mr. N. W. Thatcher, of Chillicothe, sent last summer to 

 the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, specimens of a small 

 variety of curculio, which he had found to injure his grapes, 

 like the plum, by depositing ova. 



Frost. Late spring frosts have some years, but not often, 

 been highly injurious, especially to vineyards near small 

 streams of water, damp woods, or in cold situations. The 

 most severe within the memory of the writer, occurred on the 

 nights of the 26th of April, 1834; 9th May, 1838; 7th May, 

 1845, and the 15th April, 1849. 



In the three first named years, the buds had so far put out, 

 that their loss was not replaced by the pushing out, subse- 

 quently, of the latent or twin bud, which partially overcame 

 the loss of the first, in the latter year, 1849. These frosts, 

 therefore, nearly destroyed the crop, in situations near 

 moisture. 



A more destructive frost than either of the above, occurred 

 on the morning of the second of May, 1851 — destroying all 

 the fruit, and about two-thirds of the grape-buds. This frost 

 gave us one test, and proved conclusively, that the grape is 

 the hardiest of all our fruits, not even excepting the apple. 



In warm sandy lands, with a gravelly substratum, the buds 

 are in some years pushed forward prematurely by warm 

 autumns, so as to be killed by severe frosts in winter. 



