Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-04-27
ANTHRACNosE OF THE VINE
AND BIRD's-EYE-RoT.

Another fungus parasite of the vine
produces upon the leaves, but more es-
pecially upon the canes, an affection
which the French have named an
thracnose. The same parasite also at
tacks the berries, causing form of rot
which is known in some localities as
bird's-eye-rot. In some regions, particu-
larly where the air is moist and the soil
poorly drained, this disease often occa-
sions serious injury to the young canes.
1t is scarcely less common on the berries,
although by no means so destructive to
the fruit as either black or brown-rot.
We have known of instances, however,
OF its taking every berry on well-fruited
vines of Elvira, but such cases are rare.
AS in the case of mildew and black
rot, the fungus is favored by continued
damp weather or an excess of moisture,
and attacks some varieties ofgrapes more
severely than others. The grape clus-
tiers are sometimes attacked while they
are yet in the bud, and from the opening
of the season until its close the attacks
may be continued. There is probably no
vineyard in the country this side of the
Rocky Mountains, entirely free from this
pest. The Jacquez is a variety es-
pecially subject to it, but we have seen
it on many other sorts, particularly the
Elvira and Catawba.
On the berries the presence of this
fungus is indicated by the appearance
upon any part of the surface of reddish
brown or nearly black specks. These
gradually increase in size to "a or ID of
an inch in diameter, retaining circular
outline. The now quite large spots
usually become gray in the center, and
between this and the dark bordering
line there sometimes appears we'll
defined ring of bright red or vermillion,
when the spots suggest the colorings Of
a birds eye, whence the name applied
to this form of rot.
During the progress of the disease
there is no general whitening or soften
ing or browning of the berries, and the
parts not actually covered by the spots
remain green for long time. Beneath
the spots the tissues gradually lose their
turgescence, the cells collapse and the
cell-walls become dry and hard. In adj
vanced stages of the disease the berries,
reduced to one-fourth their original
size, still exhibit the outlines of the
original spots. When only slightly at
tackled the berries often become irregu-
lar in shape, the part unaffected continu-
ing its development, while the portion
underlying the spots is checked in it's
growth. When the grapes are attacked
while quite small, and not too severely
affected, they may outgrow the disease,
the only trace of it left being a gray or
brown scurf here and there on the sur
face. Sometimes when attacked on one
side only, the further growth of the
healthy side will cause the side diseased
to crack open, exposing the seeds. The
latter are sometimes pushed completely
out by the unequal growth of the parts
Unlike the fungi of brown and black
rots, that of bird 's-eye-rot does not pene
trate deeply into the tissues of the host
plant. The terminating spores pene
trate the cuticle and epidermis, and its
further growth takes place just beneath
the latter. This growth presses anC
uplifts the epidermis, and finally rup
lures it when nearly the entire plan
body of the fungus becomes exposed
From the exposed part of the fungus
spring numerous short branches, upor
which the spores or reproductive bodies
are borne. This stage in the fungus il
illustrated in Figure II. are tn,
o:Ss