ON THE SHRIVELLING QF GRAPES. 
125 
I imagine, than if a temperature of sixty or seventy degrees had been 
maintained through the dark months of November and December. 
The conclusion I arrive at is this, that during the first winter, and 
the whole period of the growth of the herb, no check ought ever to be 
permitted; but that, during the early part of the second winter, tor¬ 
pidity, brought on carefully by low temperature, is surely the safest 
means that can be resorted to, to promote large and well-grown 
fruit. 
The extent of this communication may require apology; I hope it 
will be found in the importance of the inquiry; and if it be favourably 
received, I will venture to trespass on your pages again, on the subject 
of a method (which I have seen practised) of growing the pine so as to 
produce fine fruit in a few months after the separation of the suckers. 
A. L. A. T. 
ON THE SHRIVELLING OF GRAPES. 
March 2nd, 1836. 
Sir,—I am very glad to find that the disease in grapes, generally 
known by the terms “ shrivelling,” or C( shanking,” is apparently call¬ 
ing forth the attention of your readers, as I am sure the growers of that 
valuable fruit will look with great pleasure and interest upon anything 
calculated to throw light upon the cause of it, or the means of prevent¬ 
ing it; and as information derived from experience is generally more 
valuable and practical than from theory, I take the liberty of troubling 
you with the result of my observations upon the subject. 
It is a very common opinion that the disease is produced by inatten¬ 
tion to giving air to the houses sufficiently early in the morning; and 
I have known instances in which a decided alteration for the better has 
been produced in the appearance of the vines by its being attended to, 
after the shrivelling has made its appearance ; but the effects have 
never been such as to satisfy my mind upon the point, and I am much 
more inclined to think with Air. Denver upon the subject. 
The great objection to the curvilinear iron-houses has always 
appeared to me to be the difficulty of admitting air in sufficient quan¬ 
tity ; and, of course, if the want of air is the cause of the shrivelling 
in grapes, one would expect to find it more in such a house than in one 
of wood, where air is easily obtained to any extent; but this is not the 
result which my observation confirms. 
I have two houses, each about forty feet long; one of them has a 
curvilinear iron roof, and the other is formed of wood, in the common 
