588 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
Sept.  10 
new  varieties,  some  of  which  may  prove  superior  to 
any  now  in  existence.  He  says  there  is  little  or  noth¬ 
ing  known  of  the  effects  of  such  cross-fertilization  on 
any  of  the  plums  under  cultivation,  and  believes  there 
is  a  greater  possibility  of  successful  attainment  in  the 
cross  mentioned  than  in  any  between  the  native  and 
European  varieties  or  Japanese  and  European.  He  is 
very  modest  and  reserved  about  what  he  has  achieved, 
but  his  experience  should  certainly  be  a  strong  hint 
to  young  men  who  are  desirous  of  going  into  fruit 
raising  in  the  North  and  making  it  pay  at  an  early 
day.  s. 
Results  of  the  Season’s  Spraying. 
A  HARD  TEST  FOR  THE  PRACTICE. 
Results  in  an  Illinois  Vineyard. 
I  have  used  about  400  pounds  of  blue  vitriol  this  sea¬ 
son  (the  wettest  on  record  here  in  Sangamon  County, 
Ill.),  in  spraying,  and  I  do  not  feel  very  well  satisfied 
with  the  results ;  yet  I  can  see  some.  The  quince 
leaves  that  have  always  spotted  and  fallen,  are  fresh, 
green,  healthy,  and  the  foliage  generally  looks  the 
better  for  the  spraying.  But  the  plums  I  thought  to 
save  from  rot — Imperial  Gage,  Richland,  Hungarian, 
etc. — are  all  gone  in  spite  of  nine  or  ten  thorough 
plasterings  with  the  Bordeaux  mixture.  Indeed  I 
doubt  whether  the  curculio  can  be  killed  by  spraying 
with  any  of  the  arsenites.  I  have  tried  it  every  year 
for  many  years  and  I  reluctantly  give  it  up. 
As  to  grapes,  I  thought  I  could  see  that  the  rot  was 
checked  at  each  spraying,  but  when  it  rains  nearly 
every  day,  unless  one  could  charge  the  clouds  with 
blue  vitriol  and  lime,  I  think  it  extremely  doubtful 
whether  a  crop  of  the  badly  rotting  Concords  on  old 
vines,  in  a  vineyard  infested  with  spores,  can  be  saved. 
At  any  rate,  in  order  to  do  it,  one  must  spray  in  June 
oftener  than  once  a  week.  The  vines  at  the  end  of 
the  rows  received  most  spray  and  have  rotted  the 
least,  but  there  was  a  better  circulation  of  air  among 
them,  and  this  may  figure  somewhat  in  their  preserva¬ 
tion.  Usually  where  the  foliage  is  the  thickest  the 
rot  is  the  worst.  Over  three-fourths  of  the  Concords 
are  gone,  and  a  considerable  amount  of  the  non-rot¬ 
ting  Perkins  and  Cynthiania.  There  is  no  use  in  tel¬ 
ling  me  that  “  one  spraying  of  copperas  in  the  spring 
will  annihilate  anthracnose.  ”  I  sprayed  twice  with  a 
strong  solution  (too  strong)  and  yet  the  disease  is 
worse  than  ever.  What  it  might  have  been  had  I  not 
sprayed  I  do  not  know.  This  year  I  reduced  the 
strength  of  the  Bordeaux  mixture,  using  five  pounds 
of  sulphate  of  copper  and  five  pounds  of  lime  to  the 
barrel  of  water,  and  sprayed  both  sides  of  the  row, 
using  a  Vermorel  nozzle. 
I  commenced  on  May  5,  and  counting  the  two  ap¬ 
plications  of  copperas,  have  sprayed  one  vineyard  11 
times — surely  about  all  one  can  afford  to  if  he  wants 
much  time  for  fishing.  A  row  of  Shaffer  raspbeiries 
has  received  the  same  treatment,  but  it  is  too  early  to 
give  the  results.  benjamin  buckman. 
In  the  Hudson  River  Valley. 
Advent  of  the  Disease. — The  various  forms  of 
mildew  and  rot  which  had  affected  the  grape  vine  and 
its  fruit  for  many  years  in  the  South  and  West, 
reached  the  Hudson  River  Valley  about  five  years  ago. 
Many  of  the  most  valuable  varieties  of  grapes  had 
since  their  introduction  been  subject  to  mildew  to 
such  an  extent  that  they  could  be  grown  only  in  cer¬ 
tain  narrow  limits.  Others,  when  weakened  by  bear¬ 
ing  a  heavy  crop  the  previous  year,  or  in  an  unfavor¬ 
able  season,  yielded  to  fungoid  attacks  and  perfected 
no  fruit.  This  condition  of  affairs  led  most  growers 
for  market  to  reject  all  varieties  that  contained  any 
foreign  blood.  As  Rogers’s  varieties,  Ricketts’s  seed¬ 
lings  and  most  of  the  improved  kinds  were  produced 
by  crossing  our  native  grapes  with  some  of  the  im¬ 
ported  ones,  but  few  varieties  of  first  quality  were 
grown  for  market. 
Introduction  of  the  Bordeaux  Mixture. — About 
the  time  the  disease  attacked  the  hardy  grapes  in  our 
market  vineyards,  the  French  chemists  had  discovered, 
and  the  agents  of  our  Department  of  Agriculture  had 
verified  the  value  of  copper  salts  as  a  fungicide,  par¬ 
ticularly  for  those  forms  that  destroy  the  grape  vine 
and  its  fruit.  The  manufacturers  of  pumps,  antici¬ 
pating  the  demand,  soon  had  on  the  market  efficient 
sprayers.  So  wide-spread  was  the  disease,  and  so  thor¬ 
oughly  was  the  subject  discussed  in  the  agricultural 
press,  experiment  station  bulletins  and  meetings  of 
local  horticultural  societies,  that  early  in  the  summer 
of  1890  perhaps  not  a  single  g'rape-grower  in  this  re¬ 
gion  could  be  found  who  had  not  heard  of  spraying  to 
prevent  mildew  and  black  rot.  Comparatively  few, 
however,  that  year  had  made  their  arrangements 
early  and  sprayed  their  vines,  as  directed  by  the  De¬ 
partment  and  experiment  stations.  Those  who  did 
were  rewarded  by  one  of  the  largest  and  most  perfect 
crops  they  ever  gathered.  Adjoining  vineyards  not 
sprayed  were  in  many  cases  so  badly  diseased  that 
the  crop  was  hardly  worth  gathering. 
The  Bordeaux  mixture  was  generally  used.  Six 
pounds  of  sulphate  of  copper,  four  pounds  of  fresh 
lime  and  22  gallons  of  water  was  the  formula.  The 
marked  success  following  this  treatment  induced 
nearly  every  grape-grower  to  spray  his  vines  the  next 
year,  1891.  A  continuous  dry  season,  which  was  un¬ 
favorable  to  the  development  of  fungi,  favored  the 
crop  and  the  few  who  did  not  spray  their  vines  har¬ 
vested  in  some  cases  as  good  a  crop  as  those  who  had 
done  so.  In  addition  to  this,  the  dry  weather  permit¬ 
ted  the  mixture  to  remain  on  the  stems  and  fruit,  in 
some  cases,  to  such  an  extent  as  to  attract  attention. 
The  “  poison  scare  ”  which  followed  is  known  to  all. 
It,  however,  allowed  those  who  did  not  spray  to  cher¬ 
ish  the  idea  that  they  were  wiser  than  their  neighbors. 
To  secure  the  benefits  of  applications  of  copper  salts 
without  the  drawbacks  attending  the  application  of 
the  Bordeaux  mixture  of  usual  strength,  was  desir¬ 
able.  It  was  suggested  that  one-half  the  quantity  of 
sulphate  of  copper  and  lime  was  equally  efficacious, 
and  that  five  ounces  of  carbonate  of  copper  dissolved 
in  three  pints  of  concentrated  ammonia,  mixed  with 
45  gallons  of  water,  were  either  of  them  as  efficacious, 
more  cheaply  made,  more  easily  applied,  and  would 
not  discolor  the  fruit: 
This  season  the  air  has  been  charged  with  humidity: 
a  great  many  exceedingly  hot  days,  and  more  frequent 
and  heavy  thunder  showers  than  most  of  us  have  ever 
witnessed,  combined  to  make  the  proper  care  of  fruit 
an  exceedingly  difficult  matter.  All  were  aware  that 
these  climatic  conditions  favored  the  development  and 
virulence  of  all  fungoid  diseases  ;  but  to  have  the  Bor¬ 
deaux  mixture  washed  clean  from  the  vines  as  soon  as 
applied  was  exceedingly  discouraging.  Many  vine- 
yardists  waited  for  more  favorable  weather  to  spray 
their  vines.  Meanwhile  the  dreaded  black  rot  was 
putting  in  an  appearance.  To  a  great  extent  picking 
the  affected  grapes  was  resorted  to.  This  should  al¬ 
ways  be  done  ;  for  in  the  later  attacks  of  the  disease, 
it  is  always  found  most  prevalent  near  where  a 
diseased  cluster  has  been  left.  It  was  near  the  last  of 
.July  when  the  weather  seemed  more  settled.  Then 
thorough  spraying  with  the  ammoniacal  solution  of 
carbonate  of  copper  was  generally  done.  As  might 
be  expected  from  the  foregoing  statements,  re¬ 
sults  have  varied  greatly.  The  more  tender  varie¬ 
ties,  like  Brighton  and  Delaware,  have  suffered  from 
downy  mildew  to  a  great  extent.  In  many  vineyards 
of  Concords  the  loss  from  disease  will  be  slight,  while 
in  others  one-fourth  to  one-half  the  crop  will  be  lost, 
and  in  a  few  no  traces  of  disease  can  be  found.  As 
nearly  all  sprayed  more  or  less  frequently,  those 
whose  vines  suffered,  in  some  instances,  attribute 
their  loss  to  the  inefficiency  of  the  weaker  solution 
they  used.  This  is  an  important  matter,  and  worthy 
of  careful  investigation. 
Should  our  Copper  Solution  be  Stronger  ? — 
Many  careful  observers,  and  good  grape-growers  think 
the  efficiency  of  the  Bordeaux  mixture  has  been  im¬ 
paired  by  using  a  weaker  solution  than  that  first  pub¬ 
lished.  Others  suspect  that  the  sulphate  of  copper  in 
the  market  varies  in  purity  and  strength.  I  believe 
that  repeated  tests  at  the  various  experiment  stations 
have  established  the  fact  that  all  the  copper  sulphate 
in  the  market  is  at  least  90  per  cent  pure.  As  to  the 
comparative  efficiency  of  the  weaker  and  stronger 
preparations  of  the  Bordeaux  mixture,  we  will  have  to 
judge  by  facts  and  experience  in  the  vineyard  this 
season.  So  far,  I  believe,  no  exhaustive  experiments 
have  been  made.  The  subject  is  of  sufficient  import¬ 
ance  to  justify  careful  investigation  by  our  various  ex¬ 
periment  stations.  In  the  few  vineyards  where  no 
black  rot  or  mildew  has  appeared,  I  am  informed  that 
thorough  spraying  was  done  immediately  after  each 
heavy  shower;  in  one  case  the  entire  vineyard  was 
sprayed  eight  times  during  the  season. 
Conclusions. — From  the  evidence  I  have,  I  am  led 
to  believe  that  the  Bordeaux  mixture  made  by  using 
12  pounds  of  sulphate  of  copper  and  eight  pounds  of 
fresh  lime  in  50  gallons  of  water  is  a  preventive  of 
black  rot  and  mildew.  To  make  it  efficacious  the  ap¬ 
plication  should  be  made  early  in  the  season  (about 
the  time  the  clusters  have  formed,  before  blossoming), 
and  repeated  every  two  weeks  at  least,  and  oftener  if 
the  leaves  are  washed  clean  by  heavy  rains.  Care 
should  always  be  taken  that  every  leaf  and  cluster  is 
moistened.  After  July  1  two  sprayings  with  five 
ounces  of  carbonate  of  copper  dissolved  in  three  pints 
of  concentrated  ammonia  in  45  gallons  of  water  should 
be  made.  If  this  year's  experiments  demonstrate  that 
using  the  above  solution  of  carbonate  of  copper  is  as 
efficacious  as  the  Bordeaux  mixture,  it  will  be  a  great 
boon  to  the  grape  grower  ;  for  it  is  not  only  cheaper, 
but  cleaner  and  less  liable  to  clog  the  nozzle  of  the 
spraying  pump.  It  is  hoped  that  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  has  conducted  such  a  series  of  experi¬ 
ments  in  all  the  different  grape  growing  regions  that 
the  results  this  year  will  settle  this  question. 
w.  p.  BARNS, 
[Every  query  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the 
writer  to  Insure  attention.  Before  asking  a  question,  please  see  If  It  Is 
not  answered  In  our  advertising  columns.  Ask  only  a  few  questions 
at  one  time.  Put  questions  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper.] 
“Popular  Notions”  About  Children. 
There  Is  an  Idea  abroad  that  young  and  growing  children  should  not 
sleep  with  old  people,  because  such  children  will  ‘"draw  weakness 
from  the  old  folks.”  Now  Is  this  simply  a  “  notion”  or  is  It  founded 
on  scientific  principles?  Is  there  any  sound  reason  why  children 
should  not  sleep  with  old  people  ? 
It  is  a  curious  reflection  that  a  popular  belief,  it 
may  perhaps  be  called  a  superstition,  lasts  3,000  years 
and  yet  remains  active  and  lively  ;  how  long  then  may 
it  have  taken  to  fix  some  physiological  peculiarities 
on  any  race  of  animals,  and  what  is  the  age  of  the 
human  race  ?  This  thought  occurs  to  me  as  I  think 
of  the  question  proposed.  The  common  belief  refer¬ 
red  to  existed  in  the  time  of  the  Jewish  King  David. 
It  is  clear  from  this  that  the  conclusion  may  have  been 
made  that  if  any  thing  could  be  gained  by  a  weak  old 
person  by  close  contact  with  a  strong,  healthy  one, 
the  young  person  must  impart  this  at  a  loss  to  the  sys¬ 
tem.  That  this  is  so  commonly  believed  is,  however, 
no  reason  why  it  should  be  true,  but  yet  there  is  some 
scientific  probability  that  it  may  have  some  founda¬ 
tion  in  fact,  to  some  extent.  Warmth  affords  strength 
to  any  person  who  suffers  from  the  weakness  incident 
to  old  age,  and  whose  circulation  is  sluggish.  Cold 
weakens  the  system  and  the  reduced  activity  of  the 
movement  of  the  blood  and  the  resulting  interference 
with  the  action  of  the  lungs,  increase  this  weakness, 
and  exhaustion  follows,  which  in  old  persons  may 
hasten  death. 
The  using  of  vital  heat  is  a  process  of  exhaustion, 
and  to  the  extent  that  an  old  person  may  be  warmed 
by  close  contact  with  the  warm  body  of  a  child,  and 
thus  gain  strength,  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  the 
child  is  weakened  by  just  so  much  as  the  old  person 
gains.  Heat  is  force,  and  by  the  law  of  the  conserva¬ 
tion  of  forces,  a  scientific  axiom,  as  it  well  deserves  to 
be  called,  all  force  gained  by  any  matter  must  be  im¬ 
parted  by  some  other.  “  Nothing  comes  of  nothing,” 
and  the  gain  of  the  old  person  must  be  made  at  the 
expense  of  the  young.  But  how  much  this  loss  may 
affect  the  child  depends  very  much  upon  its  health 
and  vigor.  A  sickly  one  may  easily  suffer  harm  in 
this  way,  I  can  easily  believe  ;  but  unless  the  occur¬ 
rence  be  continuous,  and  the  old  person  quite  weak,  I 
should  not  think  any  ill  results  would  follow  to  a 
healthy  child  over  five  or  six  years  old.  But  at  the 
same  time  it  is  not  a  practice  that  is  to  be  commended, 
but  c  uite  the  contrary,  on  account  of  the  susceptible 
disposition  of  children,  and  the  possibility,  always  to 
be  avoided  with  the  greatest  care,  that  some  harm 
might  be  done.  dr.  h.  Stewart. 
It  is  not  a  very  agreeable  thing  to  say  or  write  any¬ 
thing  against  popular  “  notions”  and  prejudices.  It 
has  been  well  said  that  no  one  can  be  reasoned  out 
of  a  belief  that  has  been  accepted  without  reason. 
Yet,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  often  the  case  that  there 
is  some  foundation  for  beliefs  that  are  regarded  as 
“mere  notions.”  Old  people  who  are  sound,  sweet 
and  healthy,  will  not  in  any  way  injure  young  chil¬ 
dren,  merely  by  occupying  the  same  room,  or  the 
same  bed.  But  if  the  room  is  too  small,  or  ill  ventil¬ 
ated,  with  hardly  air  enough  in  it  for  one,  a  second 
occupant  is  certainly  objectionable — often  seriously 
so.  People  who  would  not  object  to  opening  the  win¬ 
dow  when  sleeping  alone,  will  close  it  when  a  child 
sleeps  with  them,  fearing  the  child  will  “take  cold.” 
Direct  drafts  are  injurious,  but  free  ventilation  with¬ 
out  drafts  is  an  essential  of  any  sleeping  apartment. 
It  is  easy  to  see  that  injury  may  occur  in  these  ways, 
yet  not  be  chargeable  to  “  age.”  It  is  far  better,  how¬ 
ever,  for  the  child  in  any  case  to  have  its  own  little 
bed,  or  crib,  unless  it  is  so  young  as  to  need  its 
mother’s  or  nurse’s  warmth  to  keep  it  comfortable  ; 
and  this  is  not  infrequently  the  case  in  many  of  our 
Northern  farm  houses.  Perfect  cleanliness  and  an 
abundance  of  pure  air,  without  direct  drafts,  are, 
with  pure  food  and  appropriate  clothing,  the  essen¬ 
tials  of  health,  and  infants  and  young  children  suffer 
more  quickly  for  any  lack  in  these  matters  than 
adults.  DR.  T.  II.  HOSKINS. 
As  yet  this  opinion  has  no  other  foundation  than 
human  experience,  but  it  and  its  converse  have  been 
long  believed  and  acted  upon,  as  is  shown  by  the 
story  from  David’s  old  age  told  in  I  Kings,  1:2,  It  is 
for  the  psychologists  to  go  on  watching  and  recording 
the  manifestations  of  the  immaterial,  invisible  part  of 
the  human  being  in  order  to  discover  more  of  its  na¬ 
ture  and  powers,  and  this  is  being  assiduously  done, 
.especially  by  the  alert  and  ingenious  French  scieq- 
