20 



between the rows with field peas, which are ploughed in at 

 maturity, applying also manure when necessary. He also told 

 me that he plants none but grafted trees the stocks used being 

 either Lemon or Sweet Orange. 



Mildew on Vines. — I have sometimes been asked for a 

 remedy for the mildew which does so much damage to the^ 

 leaves and fruit of the Grape Vine, and have recommended the 

 old plan of dusting the leaves with sulphur, but I note in the 

 United States Experiment Station Record, Vol. XI., p. 165, the 

 following article : — 



" In 1898, unsuccessful attempts were made to stamp out 

 the mildew from vineries by the use of potassium sulphid and 

 by dusting the vines with sulphur, &c, but the crop of that 

 year was a total failure. Eaily in 1899 the vineries were 

 thoroughly cleaned, new soil replaced in borders and walks, and 

 the canes of the vines were painted with a strong mixture of 

 sulphur and potassium sulphid with but little effect, as the 

 mildew appeared in several places by the time the vines had 

 reached the flowering stage. Acting upon a suggestion, the 

 author thoroughly sprayed the vines with water heated to the 

 boiling point, which was carried a distance of some 60 yards 

 and quickly sprayed over the leaves. The vines were thoroughly 

 soaked on two separate occasions, and special investigations 

 showed not a trace of living mildew, but brown spots on the 

 leaves were plentiful. These leaves were removed and no trace 

 of the fungus has since been observed. There was no injury 

 observed to leaf or flower, nor were the tender growing tips in- 

 jured, although adventitious roots on some of the canes were 

 blackened. 



Subsequently vines of the White Tokay were sprayed with 

 w r ater as near the boiling point as possible, and a few days later 

 a second application of the same kind was given, the vines 

 coming through uninjured. In all, four varieties of grapes 

 have been experimented on in this way, and in every case the 

 vines are said to be growing freely and the berries are un- 

 harmed. 



Rust on Oats. — A specimen was sent to me of the fungus 

 which has done so much damage to the forage crops in the 

 upper districts of the Colony, and I found on microscopical 

 examination that it is the same fungus that is known at Home 

 as Trichobasis rubigo-vera, I learn since then that the fungus 

 hitherto known under that name has lately been divided by 

 Erickson & Hennings into two separate species popularly 

 known as the " Yellow rust " and the " Brown rust " the latter 

 being the one hitherto known as Trichobasis or Puccinia 



