THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
241 . 
permission of the mayor of the village had to be 
formally sought and granted before the English 
politician could have a salt -water sitz bath. The 
tax on salt was at the root of this anomaly, and 
the stringent restriction was to prevent the natives 
from boiling down sea water and making salt for 
themselves. 
The Peronospora among the Malta vines. 
The past year or two has witnessed considerable 
activity in the development of the vine-growing 
capabilities of these islands, the geognostic and 
climatic characters of which are such are eminently 
adopted to vine culture, Among the many causes 
that have contributed to the introduction of this 
change, one of the most important is the great 
decadence that has lately taken place in the orange 
growing industry and the desire that has been ma- 
nifested to see it supplemented or replaced by 
one which might not only be a direct source of 
revenue to the country, but which would also be 
the means of employing profitably the energies of 
the large agricultural population which is soley 
dependent upon the soil and its produce for their 
sustenance. Much distress has been occasioned 
among the agriculturists of the islands by the ra- 
vages among the fruit and vegetables of a number 
of parasitical foes both animal and vegetable, 
which have wrought such havoc as to seriously 
threaten the very existence of many branches of 
agricultural industry. During the last year or two 
the damage thus caused has assumed very serious 
proportions and the Government has therefore, 
with a view of mitigating the evil, appointed 
various commissions to inquire into the causes of, 
and to suggest remedies for it. Many of the 
diseases have, however, taken so deep a root that 
whether they now be eradicated or not, considera- 
ble losses must be incurred by both capital and 
labour. 
It was at this jucture that several gentlemen 
of the island came forward and with commendable 
enterprise and patriotism endeavoured to supply 
the places of some of the old industries by the 
introduction on a large scale of vine culture a 
branch which is carried on with great success and 
profit in the neighbouring islands and countries. 
They expended large sums of money and caused 
extensive tracts of country both, in Malta and 
Gozo to be laid out and planted with several 
hundreds of thousands of vines. The interests at 
stake were large, and the anticipations of what 
Malta might become as a wine-producing country 
were hopeful, and it was therefore with no small 
feelings of regret that the Government and the 
public were informed a few weeks ago that the 
vines in both islands had been attacked by the 
Peronospora , one of the most virulent, and destruc- 
tive of the diseases to which the vine is subject. 
The “ mildew ’’ as it is popularly called, has been 
in existence in France and in Northern Italy for 
the last fifteen years, but it was not until this year 
that it made itself manifest either here or in 
Sicily. 
As soon as its presence had manifested itself the 
Government authorities took immediate steps, and 
appointed a commission to enquire into the extent 
and character of the new invasion. The result of 
these enquiries has been to show that the disease 
is diffused to a greater or lesser extent throughout 
both islands, but that it seems to be in a more 
advanced state of development in Gozo than it is 
in Malta. Of the many hundreds of plants that 
were examined in the vineyards of Ivala, Uied San 
Bias, Sannat, and other localities all, without 
exception were found to be badly affected. 
In the majority of cases the disease was confined 
to the leaves only, but a large percentage had their 
branches attacked and the fruit was found to be in a 
very dwarfed and undeveloped state, a fact that 
was undoubledly due to the devitalizing effect of 
the fungus which was preying upon them. In the 
inhabited districts where the vines were not 
numerous, and those that did exist were well 
sheltered from the Sirocco by high walls and 
dwelling houses it was observed that they were 
either quite free from the disease or where it had 
made its appearance, it occurred in such a modi- 
fied form as to be practically harmless. 
The nature and the principal characteristics 
of the disease may not be without some interest 
to our readers. 
The Peronospora is a parasitical fungus belong- 
ing to one of the genera of the order Mtjcedines, 
which is a subdivision of a family of plants known 
by the name of Hyphomycetes signifying “thread” 
