Bulletin VI, Delaware Experiment Station. TIu- 

 Black-Rot of GrapL's. By Frederick D. Chester and M. H. 

 BeckwitJi. Pp. J2. I colored plate. Mr. Chester made 

 careful tests of Bordeaux mixture in a commercial vine- 

 yard last year, with gratifying results. " Sprayed vines 

 yielded on the average, 54.51 lbs. of grapes 

 Bordeaux per standard row, unsprayed vines under 

 Affixture for this standard yielded 7.5 lbs. only; the use 

 Black-Rot. of the Bordeaux mixture, therefore, in- 

 creased the return by more than seven fold. 

 The total merchantable product from the sprayed vines 

 was 2,953 lbs. Had no steps been taken to check the rot, 

 the yield would have been reduced to one-seventh, or 422 

 lbs. A rough proof of the correctness of this claim is as 

 follows; The season of 1888 was a more favorable one 

 for grape growers than that just closed ; nothing was 

 then done to combat the black-rot, and it made such 

 ravages in this vineyard that approximately 250 lbs. only 

 of fruit could be marketed." Most of the vines were 

 sprayed five times, on the following dates ; May 21, June 

 3, June 21, July 4, July 15. The total cost of spraying, 

 including the washing of the grapes at marketing time, 

 was 58 cents per row of 20 vines. 



It was found that the fruit upon sprayed vines ripened 

 much earlier than that upon untreated 

 Influence of vines, because the leaves were not 

 Treatment upon killed by the fungus. "The differ- 

 Maturity. ence between the sprayed and un- 



sprayed halves of this row was very 

 striking. The unsprayed half was nearly defoliated ; 

 the fruit adhering to the bare vines in an unripe condition, 

 while upon the sprayed half the foliage was perfectly 

 green, healthy, and of a dense growth. A letter from 

 Mr. Anthony a few days later announced that the fruit 

 upon the unsprayed half was picked September 9, mak- 

 ing II days difference in the ripening." 



Mr. Chester gives an extended description, with illus- 

 trations, of the black-rot fungus. Mr. Beckwith gives 

 results of spraying with sulphate of cop- 

 Other per, sulphide of potassium, eau celeste and 

 Treatments. Bordeaux mixture. Sulphate of copper 

 applied before the leaves appeared, and 

 sulphide of potassium exercised no influence. Results 

 from the use of eau celeste and a later sulphate of cop- 

 per applied in a spray, were indifferent. "Bordeaux 

 mixture has awakened a feeling of confidence." 



The Bordeaux mixture often adheres to the berries at 

 maturity, rendering them unattractive. This coating was 

 readily removed by placing the grapes in wire baskets 



and dipping them in vinegar water. After dipping, the 

 grapes are rinsed twice. The operation did 

 not remove the bloom, nor in any way injure Washing 

 the fruit. "The baskets loaded with grapes Grapes, 

 were soaked for a few minutes in a solution 

 made by mixing two quarts of cider vinegar in ten gal- 

 lons of water. Most of this solution drained back into 

 the tub when the basket was raised ; nearly all that still 

 adhered to the fruit disappeared after the first dip in 

 pure water ; on leaving the bath in the second tub of 

 water, no trace of vinegar could be detected. A short 

 exposure on the wire frames rendered the grapes fit for 

 market. Three thousand pounds were treated in this 

 manner, at an average expense of six cents 

 per hundred pounds; at wholesale the Are the 

 grapes averaged five cents per pound net." Grapes 

 Analyses showed that 2}4 pounds of me- Poisonous? 

 tallic copper in a million pounds of fruit 

 was present in grapes procured in the market. " This is 

 not enough to do any possible harm. 



Bulletin XIV, Cornell University Experiment 

 Station. Two Straivberry Diseases. By W. R. Dudley. 

 Pp. 14. Illustrated. This is a technical paper, dealing 

 chiefly with some very important discoveries in the life 

 history of the leaf-blight. The leaf-blight 

 or "sun-burn" of strawberries is caused Strawberry 

 by a fungus, Spluerella fragariee. The dis- Diseases, 

 ease is often very injurious just before the 

 fruit should ripen. Professor Dudley finds that the dis- 

 ease survives the winter in three forms. The mycelium 

 remains in the leaves all winter and begins to grow quick- 

 ly upon the advent of warm weather. Well defined dis- 

 ease was secured in 14 days after artificial inoculation of 

 the leaves. " Aside from care in the selection of soil and 

 in good cultivation, two modes of treatment will be found 

 to repay the fruit grower. First, if the season opens un- 

 favorably, the regular use of fungicides ; second, if the 

 fungus persists till autumn, destruction, in the following 

 spring, of all old leaves by burning over." Sulphide of 

 potassium and carbonate of copper, applied early in the 

 season, are recommended. 



Another disease, very similar to the former in external 

 appearance, has also been studied. It has not been re- 

 ported as injurious heretofore, although it has been 

 known by botanists for some time. The treatment rec- 

 ommended for the leaf-blight may be employed. 



Bulletin No. 22, Kentucky Experiment Station, 

 Potato E.xperimeuts . Pp. 2j. Illustrated. The tests re- 

 ported in this bulletin concern methods of culture as well 



