CULTURE OF THE VINE. 



21 



the roots. It will not be necessary to water the outside border^ 

 as sufficient moisture will be had from rain. The dressing of 

 manure should be done at least a month before the vines are 

 pruned^ as by so doing it gives the vines the ability of shooting 

 forth numerous young roots amongst the newly-laid-on manure, 

 which is of immense importance to their well-doing the following 

 season. The reason I recommend their not being pruned imme- 

 diately the crop is taken from them is, that, however well -matured 

 the wood may be, and however many of the principal leaves may 

 be in a state of decay, it will be observed that numerous small 

 lateral shoots, at the extreme end, have still some vitality left ; 

 therefore those lateral shoots will keep up a sufficient circulation 

 to enable the vine to throw out roots with greater facility, which, 

 if once started, will continue to increase with rapidity, notwith- 

 standing the branch is in a state of repose. 



I will now say a few words relative to mildew, which has been 

 of late the subject of much animadversion. I have read and heard 

 much of it, but never felt the ill effect of it until the first week in 

 August last. A fine crop of grapes, in a most luxuriant state, 

 within the short space of twelve hours, was completely covered as 

 with a shower of snow ; fruit, leaves, and branches, being alike 

 aff'ected. When the disease attacks the vines thus suddenly, the 

 remedy, of whatever kind, must be as promptly used. It is 

 generally allowed that sulphur is almost the only cure ; but much 

 depends, even with that, on the method of its application. Whe- 

 ther mildew is produced by atmospheric or other causes is not at 

 present my subject. To remedy the evil is the object. My prac- 

 tical experience is as follows : — Mix sulphur with water to the 

 consistency of paint, and take a brush, made from shreds of 

 Eussian matting, which is soft, and leaves more of the mixture 

 on the vine than one of bristles ; with the wash paint the whole 

 of the wood, footstalks of the leaves, and the stem of the upper 

 part of the bunch, all of which can be done by a careful person, 

 without doing any injury to the fruit. At the same time wash 

 the interior walls of the house with hot lime, mixed with an equal 



