1871 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



173 



above stated. The soaking of cuttings has a ten- 

 dency to make them root sooner upon the principle 

 of deca_ying the bark, but the removing of the 

 bark before planting at the lower joint or node 

 produces the same result and more cxpediously. 



Setting cuttings upright does not hinder the 

 formation of roots at the upper nodes but has rather 

 u tendency to make them form there as the soil is 

 not so cold as below. Roots do not form but at the 

 joints unless under extraordinary circumstances. 

 The object in setting cuttings at an angle is to place 

 the nodes at a more equal level than they would be 

 if set perpendicular to give all the joints an equal 



chance of rooting. 



*-^* — ♦ 



WJUat Becomes of tbe Sniphnr nsed npon the 

 Grape Vine. 



This question has been answered by Prof C. 

 Wideman, in the New York Journal of Applied 

 Ch'iimtry, who says that recent analysis of the soil 

 taken from the foot of vines which have been treat- 

 ed with powdered .sulphur, .shows that the sulphur 

 so employed, after performing its office of warding 

 oflf disease to the leaves, falls to the ground, and 

 unites with the lime tliere to form sulphate of lime 

 — gypsum — the substance now so highly recom- 

 mended for its fertilizing or rather irrigating quali- 

 ties. This sulphate of lime has been found at a 

 depth of fully three feet from the surface, and un- 

 der circumstances where no other probable origin 

 can be thought of The transformation is thought 

 to take place within a period of one month frim 

 the time of putting the sulphur on the vines. This 

 important fertilizing result aflbrds an additional 

 reason for the use of sulphur on the the vines, and 

 wherever else it may be of use in destroying insects 

 or disease. The formation of the sulphate of lime 

 is found to be more active in well manured vine- 

 yards than in those free from decaying organic 

 matter. ^ 



Diseases of tbe Grape. 



The Commissioner of Agriculture at Washington 

 has undertaken the investigation of the diseases of 

 the grape vine. To obtain all po.ssible assistance 

 and information in investigating the subject, the 

 attention of practical, observing grape growers 

 throughout the country is called to the f(Mlowing 

 schedule of questions : 



1. Wheu was the vineyard planted? 



2. What is the kind ol'srapef 



3. Where wa.s the stock' obtained? 



4. How larije i'^ tlie vineyard? 



5. How far apart- are the vines set? 

 8. What i^ the character of the eoil? 



7. What is the rtrainai^e? 



8. What was the crop the first bearint; year, and lot snc- 

 ceedins years to the present? 



H. In what year did di.sease first appear on the vines? 

 Was the distrnclion that year due to mildew or to rot? 



10. Tu wliat subHeqiient years was iniUlcw most hurtful? 



11. Tn what years was ro't most bnrtfui? 



IS. What means have been tried in this vineyard to pre- 

 vent or cure the disease? if so. please give results? 



13. What insects have been particularly injurious, and 

 what means have been used to prevent or destroy them? 



Replies to these questions should be addressed to 

 the Commissioner of Agriculture, with name, post- 

 offlce, county and state plainly written. 



[iswllaittons. 



Potatoes and Potato Bugs— Experiments. 



Bt Phop. C. B. Besset, State Ao. Colleob. 



Ed. Pomologist : — Hitherto I have been too 

 bu.sy to write — being engaged in a difficult warfare 

 with the weeds and insects in the garden — and I 

 am compelled to say that seldom have I seen more 

 of either than I have this season. I have not 

 at'empted an euumeiation of either, but think I 

 could name, or at lea.st point out such a number as 

 might well make Iowa gardeners stand aghast. 



I have just been looking over an experiment I 

 have in progress for the purpose of testing the 

 more prominent varieties of potatoes as to their 

 capability of withstanding the ravages of the potato 

 beetle. Have about eighty varieties — planted in 

 contiguous rows— and am allowing the beetles to 

 have it all their own way. The consequence will 

 be, to use a Darwinian phrase, " The survival of the 

 fittest." So far, several varieties Jiave entirely 

 succumbed to the attacks of their enemy, while 

 others have been badly injured, and others again 

 have been but little hurt. 



The varieties entirely cut off are. Early Loudon, 

 Six Weeks and Black Kidney — and these were not 

 all at one side of the ground, nor all together, as 

 might be supposed — but on the contrary, they were 

 in rows at a considerable distance from one 

 another. 



Below I give a table of the prominent varieties in 

 the order of their freedom from beetles. No. 1 

 being best, and No. 11 poorest : 



I. The peachblow varieties, nearly free. 

 3. Climax, nearly free. 



3. The Chili varieties, injury slight. 



4. Early Rose, somewhat injured. 



5. Bresee's Prolific, somewhat injured. 



6. Early Mohawk, tops hurt considerably. 



7. Harrison tops hurt considerably. 



8. Peerless, tops hurt considerably. 



9. Excelsior, tops badly injured. 

 10. Early Shaw, tops badly injured. 



II. King of Earlies, very badly injured. 



By the Peachblow varieties I mean the Peach- 

 blow, White Peachblow, White-eyed Peachblow, 

 and the closely allied White Apple. I have in- 

 cluded them under the same head, as their habit of 

 growth is vary similar, and their freedom from 

 beetles about equal. 



The Chili varieties include White Chili, Garnet 

 Chili and Chili No. 3. Last year, at the close of the 



