The following abstract of Mr. Scribner's excellent paper on the grape rot» is from the New York Independent:

"The disease known as the black rot in grapes, has been determined to be the result of the attack of a small fungus, allied to that which produces the knot in the branches of the plum. Mr. Scrib-ner refers to it as Physalaphora Bidwellii. The disease was first noted as being particularly destructive in Southern Ohio in 1848, and the fungus which produced it, first described by Dr. Engelmann, in the Transactions of the Academy of St. Louis, in 1861. It has spread to all the grape-growing States east of the Mississippi, and is spreading beyond, being destructive now in Kansas. It usually appears when the berries are two-thirds or nearly wholly grown. A livid brown spot appears on one side, eventually covering the berry, the berry finally appearing rotten, though maintaining its normal form. Eventually small black pustules appear from the part first affected, and finally cover the whole surface of the berry. It takes from one to five days to effect these transitions. As soon as the berry exhibits any sign of the malady, the mycelium, under a microscope, may be detected traversing the cells, at frequent points beneath the cuticle some of the threads abruptly terminating in order to form the vesicles designed to contain the spores. These vesicles are of the usual two sexual characters.

In the pycni-dia or reproductive cysts, the spores are found at the apex of short threads. The spores escape through an opening at the apex of the pycnidia; the spores germinate in water in the space of three or four hours, and these form the plant, as the mycelium might be termed. The spermatia, by analogy perform the duties of pollen, but have been known to germinate and produce filaments of the appearance of mycelial threads. It is suspected that the fungus is only a stage or development of some other fungus at present unknown. Besides this method of reproduction, berries that fall to the ground produce conidioferous filaments, and the conidia produce mycelia as in the other case. The fungus has, in all, four kinds of reproductive bodies. The fungus remains over the winter in the form of mycelium in the berries, or falling in the earth. Persistence in gathering or burning the infested berries, might possibly eradicate the pest, if the parasite does not make its home in the young growing wood as well as in the berries. In some cases, the trimmings of the immature branches are burned also. From whence this great pest to the grape-grower emerged is yet a mystery. Science, however, is getting close on its heels.

It has shown what it is, and how immense numbers of its forces may be successfully attacked, and though the whole of the true inwardness of the enemy has not yet been laid bare, the practical grape-grower has cause to be thankful for the work that has been done. Professor Scribner, who has been for the past year studying the diseases of plants under the Department of Agriculture, has furnished most of these interesting facts".