THE VINE. 



291 



ing season, but it is always best to adopt pre- 

 ventive measures early in the season. Before 

 commencing to force, &c, the Vines should be 

 washed with water in which some soft soap has 

 been dissolved, and afterwards dressed with 

 sulphur, soft soap, and a little tobacco -water, 

 mixed in such proportions that 3 ozs. of soft 

 soap and half a pint of tobacco -water may 

 make two quarts, sufficient sulphur 

 being added to thicken it. 



Shanking. — This term is applied to 

 a disease of the footstalks of the ber- 

 ries, in consequence of which they lose 

 their green colour, and prematurely 

 their vitality, before the berries are 

 ripe. The disease has been assigned to 

 various causes, such as cold borders, 

 over- cropping, injudicious denudation 

 of foliage, &c; but the most frequent 

 cause of all is the roots getting down 

 into the cold subsoil. The only remedy 

 in that case is to lift the roots; and 

 to avoid future trouble, concrete the 

 base before putting in a new border. 

 The other causes named can be pre- 

 vented by careful management, par- 

 ticularly when it is brought about by 

 the removal of a quantity of foliage 

 at one time, arising from neglect to 

 stop the sublaterals when young. 



Rust. — This so-called disease is in 

 reality the result of injury to the skin 

 of the berries while they are young 

 and tender. It is caused either by 

 cold cutting draughts, the result of «■ 



admitting air on bright mornings early d' 



in the season when the wind is blowing J 



from the east; overheating of the hot- 

 water pipes, especially if there should be any 

 sulphur left on the latter from the previous 

 season; and allowing the hands, arms, or hair 

 of workmen to come into contact with the ber- 

 ries while the thinning is being done. The 

 ventilators of a span-roofed house should be 

 opened on the opposite side to that from which 

 the wind is blowing, or, if a lean-to, fasten some- 

 thing over the openings to temper the inrush 

 of the cold outer air. 



Scalding (fig. 1073). — This is invariably 

 caused through vineries being allowed to be- 

 come too hot on bright mornings before admit- 

 ting air, and generally while the Grapes are 

 stoning, and more particularly when little or 

 no fire-heat is made use of during the night. 

 The berries then become cold, and when the 

 sun raises the temperature in the early morn- 



ing, moisture condenses on them, with the re- 

 sult that unless the ventilators are carefully 

 manipulated, scalding takes place. The best 

 means to adopt for its prevention is to keep 

 a little heat in the hot-water pipes and a chink 

 of air on the top ventilators throughout the 

 night, also by damping down somewhat less 

 than usual at closing-time. Lady Downes' 



Fig. 1073 —Scalded Grapes. 



Bunch of Lady Downes (reduced); a, scalded side. 



Partly scalded berry; 6, scalded portion. n 



Shrivelled berry, after scalding. 



Partly scalded berry; c, shrunken patch; d, seeds. > All nat. size. 



Sound berry at time of scalding. 



Perfectly finished berry. ' 



scalding whilst 



Seedling is very liable to 

 stoning. 



Insects, &c, — See Chapter XL Bark Enemies — 

 Mealy Bug, Vine Scale. Fruit and Seed Enemies 

 — Grape Moth, Mice, Eats, "Wasps. Leaf Enemies 

 — Black Vine Weevil, Clay - coloured Vine 

 Weevil, Eed Spider, Thrips. Root Enemies — 

 Vine Louse (Phylloxera), p. 109. 



Outdoor Culture of Vines. 



Glass being cheap, there is greater induce- 

 ment to have Grapes under its shelter now than 

 formerly, and less to attempt their ripening on 

 walls in the open air. We still see cottages 

 and farmhouses with their front walls and 

 gables covered with Vines; but it is only under 

 good management and in warm situations that 



