REMEDIAL MEASURES. 81 



During the summer of 1907 our attention was called to the condi- 

 tion of a young vineyard near North East, Pa., belonging to Mr. H. E. 

 Mosher, which for the first three years of bearing had maintained a 

 very thrifty condition. The soil of this vineyard had been well 

 cultivated and heavily fertilized with barnyard manure, yet in spite 

 of this favorable treatment the crop yield in 1907 decreased to an 

 alarming extent, amounting only to about one-eighth of the value of 

 the yield for the previous season. 



This vineyard is about 5 acres in extent. The crop value in 1904, 

 first year bearing, was $127.51; in 1905 it was $410.77; in 1906 it 

 was $435.72, but in 1907 it was only $55.92 



There is every reason to believe that the grape root-worm was 

 directly responsible for the sudden decline of these vines, for when 

 the roots of many of the vines, which were practically dead, were 

 examined by us they were found to be entirely devoid of fibrous 

 roots, and the whiplike larger roots and the crowns of the vines were 

 badly furrowed and scarred as a result of feeding by the full-grown 

 larvae (PL III). From one section of this vineyard, about 2^ acres 

 in area, containing 1,584 vines, 563 dead vines were removed in the 

 spring of 1908. In addition to this, about 50 per cent of the remain- 

 ing vines were cut back either to the ground or to the lower wire of 

 the trellis, thus greatly limiting their fruit production for the coming 

 season. So discouraged was the owner with the condition of this 

 vineyard that he was at the point of pulling out all of the vines and 

 replanting it anew. At our request, however, he permitted us to 

 plan a renovation experiment on this section to determine if the vines 

 could be restored to a thrifty condition and again produce profitable 

 crops. This experiment was commenced in the spring of 1908. The 

 remaining vines were severely cut back, as mentioned above, and new 

 vines planted in the place of those which had been removed. The 

 vines were heavily fertilized with a high-grade fertilizer. In this 

 case, owing to the limited root area, as a result of the feeding by the 

 larvae, it was deemed desirable to sprinkle the fertilizer by hand 

 about the base of the vines instead of scattering it broadcast over the 

 whole area between the rows. Twelve rows received an application 

 of 400 pounds of nitrate of soda and 24 rows received an application 

 of high-grade commercial fertilizer at the rate of 2,000 pounds per 

 acre. This fertilizer was distributed in two applications; the first on 

 May 21, when active growth was well started, and the second about a 

 month later. 



With the appearance of the first beetles, June 23, 1908, the vines 

 were sprayed thoroughly with Bordeaux mixture and arsenate of 

 lead, using 4 pounds of copper sulphate, 4 pounds of stone lime, and 3 

 51282°— Bull. 89—10 6 



