Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-22
sULPHURING VINES.
A NATTER OF IMPORTANCE IN
GRAPE CULTURE.
The Proper Time TO Apply Sulphur
and the Best Method of
Application.
LBy prol. Z. ". Hilgard-BulletIn s.

gardlng the proper time and mode of using
sulphur for the prevention or repression of
mildew on vines, suggest the propriety of
summary statement of the subject, for the
general benefit of those interested
The first question asked is whether sui
phuring should or may be done while the
vine is in bloom. There is much contra
dictory evidence on this subject From an
outside point OF view it seems undesirable
to place an antiseptc intended for the de-
struction of minute vegetable life, in I'M
mediate contact with the extremely delicate
tissues of flower in process of fructifica-
ton. The action of the pollen on the
pisdl itself involves process of genuine
growth, which cannot be supposed to be
favorably influenced by the presence of an
agent hostile to other vegetable life. Still,
as IN the case OF the buhach or insect DOW
der, which. however fatal to heas is innoc-
uous to man, it is possible that what is
very deadly to minute organism like
mildew may pass harmlessly by even the
delicate stigma and pollen tubes of the
larger vine. No special warning in the
premises Is given in the latest European
and American works on viticulture. and it
must be presumed that no obvious or con-
slant bad effects have been noted from sui
phuring blooming vines. 1t is true, how
ever, that elsewhere the time for sIllphuring
is usually very much later than is found
necessary III some parts of California
where mildew often starts in May-hence
perhaps Californian experience on the sub
ject is more extensive, and it is somewhat
conflicting.
Decided injury has been reported in some
cases; in others it has been noted that
vines sulphured during bloom have " set"
fruit abundantly, while Others close at hand
and not sulphured have been subject to
couture to a damaging extent. In such cases
it must be inferred that the couture was due
to fungous parasite which was at work
on the bloom, and which was suppressed
where sulphuring was done, but was per
mitted to do its work where the antidote
was omitted.
AS regards the reported cases of obvious
damage from sulphuring into the bloom,
some clue to its possible causes was afforded
by the examination of a collection of sam
pies of commercial sulphur exhibited at a
late meeting of the Santa Clara Niticultural
Society. Among eight samples of Califor-
MIA ground sulphur there were three that
possessed strongly acid taste on the
tongue, evidently from the presence of sui
phuric acid. 1t is quite certain that il any
into an open grape flower it would et1ectu-
ally destroy the vitality of any pollen or
pistil touched by it. No such acidity was
perceptble in any of the samples of French
(sGbhmated) sulphur exhibited at the same
time, although one would more reasonably
expect to find it there than in ground sui
phur, IN view of the usual modes of pro-
ductiun.
Considering the whole of the facts before
TrS | .f,rfa L., IL !
be done before or after bloom rather than
during the same; and that all sulphur
used al such time, especially, be carefully
tested on the tongue to ascertain whether
or not II contains Il perceptble amount of
acid. All such should be discarded from
any use whatever in the vineyard.
Regarding the mode of application,
have previously given my reasons for pre-
ferring to have sulphuring done while the
leaves are moist with dew. The powder
then remainst adherent - the leaves in
stead of being blown away by the first
wind and thus the disinfecting action is
maintained for a length of time as il is
necessary it should be, since the effect is
not instantaneous, but depends upon the
gradual formation of sulphur vapor The
latter is formed more or less at all ordinary
temperature, as is obvious from the we'll
known odor which is especially striking
when sulphured vineyard is under hot
sunshine. There is not, as has been errone-
ously stated, any combustion under these
conditions and therefore no generation of
the sulphurous gas " which serves as a
dislntectant in wine cellars. Moreover |
any particles OF sulphur lodging on the
soil ond becoming mixed with it becomes
useless so far as the formation of sulphur
vapor is concerned, because that vapor is
promptly absorbed by the soil. Only rel |
atively large masses of sulphur falling on
the ground can exert any effect on the vine;
but whatever lodges on the head or in the
crotches of the stock will to the extent of
its surface exposure, contribute TO the
formation OF the disinfecting vapor. The
most economical and effective use is after
all, the even dusting-over of the moist
leaves, on which the particles will remain
fixed until evaporated For young vines,
the dredge is most convenient; on older
ones, the bellows having a positive pro-
vision for agitating the sulphur powder
within is preferable; without such pro-
vision the distribution is very uneven and
wasteful.
As regards, finally, the choice between
ground and sublimated (French) sulphur,
the two are doubtless of equal efficacy
when made equally fine, and, while differ
ing considerably in price for equal weights,
there is really little difference in the cost of
equal bulks, which is the practical basis OF
comparison. Both the touch and the mi
croscope show that the ground sulphur is
prevalently much coarser than the sub
limated, and the large smooth, shining
fragments OF the former roll off and are
blown away from the leaves much more
easily than the minute, rough, roundish
grains of the sublimated. OF course, the
latter could be prepared in California just
as well as in France and, judging from the
samples lately examined, it would when so
made be more certain of not containing in
furious ingredients than is some of the
sulphur now offered, which has probably
been made from crude, natural volcanic
material, instead of such as has been puri-
fed by previous melting from the acid
with which it is almost always contamina-
ted. Arsenic is another common impu-
rity of native suiphurs, and would be very
objectionable in an application to q bloom
m