94 The -Spraying of Plants. 



but No. 3 was very promising. He also used the following upon 

 sixty Catawba vines : " Dissolve 1 pound of sulphate of copper 

 in 2 gallons of water ; in another vessel slake 4 pounds of lime in 

 the same quantity of water; then mix these together thoroughly. 

 The advantage was the preservation of the foliage in a healthy 

 condition in a marked degree over vines untreated." l 



Bush & Son & Meissner, of Bushberg, Mo., also reported 

 their work, saying : " We have tried all the remedies recom- 

 mended in your circular and find that designated as No. 3 the 

 best. We are continuing to apply this mixture of lime with 

 dissolved sulphate of copper (not too strong), with confidence 

 in its good results." 2 Another correspondent stated that he 

 used Podechard's powder (No. 4) with marked benefit. 



The second publication of the Section of Vegetable Pathology 

 was a "Report on the Fungous Diseases of the Grape Vine." 8 

 It is a bulletin of one hundred and thirty-six pages, and gives 

 exhaustive descriptions of the fungi causing the downy mildew 

 (Peronospora viticola), the powdery mildew (Uncinula spiralis), 

 the black rot (Physalospora Bidwellii), anthracnose (Sphaceloma 

 Ampelinum), grape leaf blight (Cercospora viticola), and grape 

 leaf spot (Phyllosticta Labruscce). The botanical structure, the 

 general appearance, conditions of development, and similar 

 points were dwelled upon, so that this may be considered as 

 perhaps the most important publication of the section, when 

 one considers the influence that it exerted not only upon grape 

 growers, but upon horticulturists in general. 



The remedies recommended against the downy mildew were 

 mostly those in use by French and Italian vineyardists, viz. 

 the mixture of copper sulphate and lime, and the milk of 

 lime alone. There is also published a letter from Dr. John 

 Strentzel, of Martinez, Cal., dated June 28, 1886, in which 

 the following statements are made concerning the use of iron 

 and copper sulphates : 4 "I have been using for years solutions 



1 Ann. Kept. U. S. Com. of Agric. 1886, 101. See also Country Gentleman, 

 1887, April 28, 340. 



2 Ibid. loc. cit. 



8 This was Bull. ii. of the Section, Bull. i. having been published on a botanical 

 subject not related to the work of the Section. 



4 Scribner, " Report on the Fungous Diseases of the Grape Vine," U. S. Dept. 

 of Agric. Sec. Veg. Path. Bull. ii. IT. 



