_To the Cincinnati Horticultural Society_:--We have been appointed by you to discharge a certain function. Having examined the premises and considered the subject, we do now report: That, notwithstanding the discouragements attendant upon the experience of most vine-dressers during the past season, we are determined to persevere in viticulture, for the following among other reasons: We have our capital invested in a way which _has been_ profitable, and we believe _will be_ so again. Our lands are occupied with a growth that has required time and labor to produce, and which we are unwilling to sacrifice. We do not believe that the diseases to which the vines and fruit have been subjected, are dependent upon long pruning or short pruning, upon deep culture or shallow, nor any of the causes to which it has been attributed, that are under the immediate control of man, but that the cause is CLIMATIC. We do not believe that the rot and mildew can be warded off by leaving the wood upon the vines, nor that the usual vineyard method called short pruning, will render our vineyards more subject to this disease. We do believe, however, that we have yet much to learn in regard to the _philosophy of pruning_ which it were well for us to study, and that by so doing we may gather some useful hints in relation to this very important part of a vine-grower's duties. We do believe, as a result of our observations, that some varieties of grapes are more healthy and vigorous than others; and, on the other hand, that some are peculiarly subject to the inroads of these maladies which have so terribly affected the fruit, the foliage, and the green wood of our vines. We do firmly believe, that our societies should avoid recommending the extensive planting of any trees or vines that have not proved themselves general healthy, and free from the maladies in question, for a number of years, after trial in different situations. We do believe that systematic efforts should be made with different remedial and preventive agents, to avert the disasters that have overtaken our vine-crops of late years, and, with this view, as we have reason to believe that the difficulty depends upon the existence of some epiphytic plant, and as we are informed that sulphur and sulphate of iron exert an obnoxious influence upon the whole class of fungi, we recommend our brother vine-dressers to take courage, and to make vigorous and systematic efforts to ward off the difficulty the coming season, by the regular and persevering applications of these substances to their grape vines.