180 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMER. 



June 



trees ; and the novel seasoning struck us as so 

 philosophical, that we thought it worth record- 

 ing in our pages, for further obserration, and — 

 for we want to be repaid for the suggestion — re- 

 port in these pages. 



From the Ohio Valley Farmer. 



Grape Sickness. 



Read before the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, 

 April 5th, 1852. 



The following passage in Liebeg's Chemical 

 Letters, seems to me to lead to the solution of 

 the inquiries as to the cause of grape sicliness. 

 He says : 



"We see that, in a soil too profusely supplied 

 with salts, they are effloresced upon the surface 

 of the leaves, in consequence of this surplus of 

 mineral substances. This is especially observable 

 on plants with heavy foliag'e of great surface, so 

 as to evaporate great quantities of water. 



"The disease here spoken of takes place in a 

 period when, after continued dry weather, the 

 planta being near their development, but not 

 quite matured, the ground becomes thoroughly 

 soaked by severe drenching rains, and these are 

 followed again by dry, warm weather. A strong 

 evaporation ensues, and in consequence thereof, 

 the roots take up a greater quantity of salts 

 than the plant can use. These salts effloresce 

 upon the surface of the leaves, and show the 

 same effect upon them as if a solution of salts 

 had been poured upon them of greater strength 

 than the organism can bear. Of two plants of 

 the same kind, the disease always strikes the one 

 which stands nearest its matured development. 

 A plant which is later in its development, or de- 

 layed in planting, may be favorably aflfected by 

 the very causes here indicated." 



In connection with this extract, it may be well 

 to examine the comparative table furnished by 

 Scheebler, as to the power of the respective soils 

 to retain water : 



Quartz 22 parts 



Gypsum 27 " 



Lime Sand 39 " 



Hard Pan 40 " 



Blue Clay 50 " 



Pure Clay 70 " 



Fine Lime Earth 85 " 



Humus 190 " 



Garden earth 89 " 



A German Agricultural journal remarks upon 

 this table : 



"From the older and newer experiments made 

 we may conclude that the power to retain water 

 is smallest with sand and sandy soils. It de- 

 pends, upon the fineness of the grain ; for, while 

 coaree-grained sand retained only 20 to 26 parts, 

 fine grained took up 40 parts. Through greater 

 mixture of humus, the water-retaining power is 

 greatly increased; a sandy humus soil took up 

 50 parts. Clay possesses a far greater water'' 



retaining power than sandy soils, which, like 

 common farming grounds, are mainly mixtures 

 of these two substances, take up the more water 

 the more clay they contain. 



"Very interesting is the action of carbonic 

 acid lime on the soil. If it exists as sand, its 

 water-retentive power is very near that of quartz 

 smd, while, when it is in a pulverized earthly 

 state, it exceeds even that of clay. Humus and 

 turfy earths can retain the greatest amount of 

 water, and the greater the amount of humus in 

 a soil, the greater is the water-retentive power." 



These extracts are furnished for the purpose 

 of directing the attention of vine-yard men to 

 the suggestions they force upon their considera- 

 tion. 



1. It is certain that we have most grape sick- 

 ness in a season with a dry May, followed by a 

 wet June, especially when the June rains are fol- 

 lowed by warm sunshine. 



2. Grape sickness is always preceded by marks 

 upon the leaves. 



3. Grape vines with the heaviest foliage and 

 the greatest flow of sap are most affected. 



4. The disease always takes place just when 

 the berries are developing toward full size. 



5. Our limestone soil is in that earthy state 

 which, it is said, has even greater water-retentive 

 powers than clay, and iii such soil the grape rot 

 is always greatest. 



6. Our soils are excellent corn and grass soils, 

 in accordance with the remark of Liebeg, that 

 the same causes which produce diseases in one 

 plant act favorably on others. 



It seems more than likely that we have no, or 

 very little, remedy against the action of vines 

 here explained, though, doubtless, in the course 

 of time it will be steadily diminished. It teaches 

 us however, one lesson, that at present we must 

 not use manures in vineyards rich in salts. I 

 would also suggest that the first rough dressing 

 with the hoe be delayed till late in May, so that 

 the vine may reach its development later in June 

 than now. I also venture the remark that the 

 points herein presented favor the removal of all 

 roots annually, except those at the foot of the 

 vine and at the joint above the foot ; at least to 

 have no roots within twelve inches of the top soil. 

 A mode of surface-drainage might also prove of 

 advantage, which, to be of real use, would, how- 

 ever, have to be of such a nature as not to keep 

 rains from the vines at those periods of the year 

 when we have no wish to guard against the evil 

 herein treated of. 



The Society will please receive the whole of 

 this contribution, which merely invites persons 

 interested to the subject, because it struck me as 

 one of the pathways which might lead to a solu- 

 tion upon this, to us vineyard men, perplexing 

 subject, and which does not claim to present ma- 

 tured opinions. 



— The young lady who burst into tears has 

 been put together again, and is now wearing 

 hoops to prevent the recurrence of the accident. 



-—*- 



— Favorites are like sun-dials ; no one looks at 

 them if they are in the shade. 



