Inside the book

Based on direct field observation and microscopic analysis, the work identifies oidium as the causal agent of the disease, resolving contemporary doubts as to whether the fungus was cause or effect. Gasparrini describes the structure and development of the mycelium, often accompanied by secondary fungal forms, and advances the hypothesis of its transformation into associated mucedinous fungi. The text offers precise symptom descriptions, a critical review of recent European literature, and early observations on varietal resistance, notably in Isabella, a Vitis labrusca grape, supporting the disease’s American origin. The folding lithographic plate is of high documentary value, depicting Moscadella bunches at successive stages of infection and a single Corinto grape affected by the disease. Issued as an offprint from the Atti del Real Istituto d’Incoraggiamento alle Scienze Naturali, this work marks a foundational moment in European plant pathology applied to viticulture.