Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-11-14

HuoetS OF the SIKH Dulletln OF tne lslh-
ware College agricultural station, kindly
furnished by DR.. A. 4. Neale, the
GAzETTE's correspondent is enabled 10
make early extracts from this most inter-
esting and valuable report. The report is
in pamphlet form, containing 80 pages, and
the edition numbering over 5000 copies,
1000 of which will be used by the State
Board of Agriculture for distribution
among the farmers of the State. The
paper comes from the mills of Curtis IL
Brother in this town, while the printing
is done hv the Delaware Printing Com.
pauy of Wilmington.
The bulletin deals with only one sub.
jeot this time, 1. g. the black rot, u dis
ease Of grape vines, but it treats the mat
ter so practically and exhRusts 1t so
thoroughly that its restriction Of subject
is to be commended. To illustrate the
text OF the report and to show with
microscopic and Photographic exsctltude
the peculiar characterization OF the disease
there are number Of wood cuts and an
excellent colored plate representing leaf
affected by the blight. The summary Of
the report says;
IAN act OF Congress prescribes that
experiment stations organized under the
Hatch bill, may study plant diseases and
examine aud test proposed remedies.
The fact that immediate pecuniary gains
follow studies in this field is illustrated
by experiments carried ont by Professors
Chester and BecBwith. Professor Chester
shows that Levi Z. Anthony Of Smyrna,
Delaware has vineyard OF | 300 vines
which occupy an area of 81 900 square
feet, or approximately, 10 acres. The
net cash income from sprayed vines dur.
ing the past season was $ll4 40. The
treatment necessary TO protect these vinss
from the disease known MS the black rot
involved IN outlay of 1886 10, leaving
cash balance of $l0830. Proof is fur.
nished that without this treatment the
total net income from this vineyard
would have been $40 So. In this case
therefore the remedy saved Mr. Anthony
1876, OF SCI so per acre.
'At the time of the vintsge, Mr..
Authony's grapes were badly spotted
with greenish blue crust OF Bordeaux
mixture. A rain fall of 81 inches during
August had doubtless removed many
stains, but it was evident that all of the
fruit ahonld BE- thoroughly washed before
it was offered fJf sale. Officials OF this
station visited Smyrna and demonstrated
the fact thar water containing q very
small amount OF vinegar, cleaned the
punches thoroughly aud quickly without
noticeRbly affecting the bloom. Mr.
Anthony adopted this plan and proved
that the work could be done economically
and easily.
Baskets loaded with grapes were
soaked for few minutes in solution
made by mixing two quarts of cider
vinegar In 10 gallons OF water. Most Of
this solution drained back into the tnb
when the basket was raised; nearly all
that still adhered to the fruit disappeared
after the first dip in pure water; on leay-
ing tho bath III the second tub of water,
no trace OF vinegar could be detected. A
short exposure on the wire frame rem.
dered tie grapes ct for market. Three
Thousand pounds were treated in this
manner, at an average expense Of six
cents per hundred pounds; ct Wholesale
the grapes averaged five cents per pound
net.
Professor Beckwith's work was car
ried out in DR.. j. J. Blacks vineyard
near State Read, New CASTLE county. In
general it can be claimed that the con-
illusions corroborate those reached by
Professor Chester. One additional fact
ia developed, viz, that the Bordeaux
mixture may sometimes be used without
appreoiable results; for example-Con-
cords and Champions were grown in
rows side by side, no point of difference
in the treatment is known. The Con.
cords suffered but little from the black
rot; the Champions yielded no merchant
able fruit, for the clusters iecayed be-
fore they were ripe. Nothing OF this
nature was observed at Smyrna and diff
ferences in the details Of the experiments
have therefore been closely scanned.
One point of value is The relative amount
of Bordeaux mixture used ia each vine
yard. The active agent in this mixture
is copper compound. In DIR. Blacks
case the average amount Of Bordeaux
mixture used on eight vines, in the courge
Of the season, represented one pound of
sulphate CT copper. In Mr. Anthony's
vineyard the average was one pound to
four vines, and this amount is not
thought to be too large to ensure the
best results under all circumstances.
SIN the case Of Ir. Anthony's vineyard
the sprayed vines yielded on the average
51.5l pounds OF grapes per standard row.
Unsprayed vines under this standard
yielded rs pounds only. The use of the
Bordeaux mixture, therefore, increased
the return by more than seven fold. The
total merchantsble product from the
sprayed vines was 2, 953 pounds. Had no
steps been taken to check the rot the
yield would have been reduced to one
seventh, or 422 pounds. rough proof
of the correctness of this claim is as fol-
lows The season of 1858 was more IA
vorable one for grape growers than that
inst closed. Nothing was then done to
| combat the black rot, and il made such
ravnges In this vineyard that approx
mately $50 pounds only of fruit could be
marketed. This vineyard had for several
SEASONS been badly infested with the
black rot, and it, therefore, afforded a
fine opportunity for testing the value OF
the Bordeaux mixture as a remedy, and
for Offering the grape growers in Della
ware an object lesson in the use of fungi.
cides. The season covered by the expert
ment was one particularly favorable to
the development OF the black rot, because
OF its excessive humidity, making the
success of the experiment all the more
notable and brilliant.
1.-THE Bordeaux mixture used in this
experiment waa prepared as follows
Six pounds Of copper sulphate (blut
stone) was dissolved in ahoqt two pail
tulls of hot water and, when thoroughly
in solution diluted to about 10 gallons
At the same time 6 pounds OF quick Gun
s!acked) lime was slowly and carefully
Stacked with the smallest quantity Of
water, and finally bsoughtto about the cor
sistency of thin whitewash. When Coo
the lime was poured slowly, with con
slant stirring, into tho copper sulphat'
solution. The mixture cOn,nleta. II was