Insects of Interest to Fruit Growers. 75 



and the resulting female should lay her impregnated egg on any other living 

 plant than grape, and that this egg should give birth in due time to the stem 

 mother, she would inevitably perish without issue for want of suitable food. 

 With the utmost care to supply the natural conditions, I have failed nine 

 times out of ten to obtain even the sexual individuals, and it is much more 

 difficult to get the impregnated egg. European observers have had the 

 same experience. From this it follows that the introduction of phylloxera 

 vipon any other plant than the grape vine, at any season of the year, is im- 

 possible, and hence the folly of the prohibition. 



"As to the possibility of its introduction upon grape vines themselves, 

 however, there can be no doubt. The insect can be carried on the roots of 

 vines in the winter either in the dormant larva state or in the ' winter egg' 

 state, and in this latter state it may occur upon almost any part of the plant 

 above ground, more particularly under the loose bark of the two-year-old 

 canes, although recent observations have proven that whenever it occurs 

 above ground it is produced rather from the gall-inhabiting type than from 

 the more dangerous root form. Therefore the clause which prohibits the 

 introduction of cuttings with or without roots into districts where the 

 phylloxera absolutely does not exist, is fully justified by the facts. It may 

 be well to state, however, that in districts where the phylloxera exists no 

 better preventive can be adopted than the introduction of the hardy and 

 resisting American vines as stocks upon which to graft the more susceptible 

 European varieties. 



"It should also be urged in this connection that, while the decree is justi- 

 fied in so far as it prohibits the actual introduction of vines and cuttings, 

 there can be no danger from the mere passage through a non-infested coun- 

 try of such vines. These are necessarily boxed; and can only be properly 

 and safely shipped during the cold or non-growing season when the egg is 

 dormant; so that there is a practical impossibility in the introduction of the 

 insect by such a passage. 



" While I am rather in the dark as to the nature of the original complaint 

 (as no copy accompanied the papers received from the State Department), 

 the United States can safely and with great justice urge upon Germany the 

 reversal of that portion of the decree which does not apply to grape vines 

 proper. Respectfully, 



"C. V. ElLEY, 



" Hon. George B. Loring, " Entomologist. 



" Commissioner of Agriculture." 



"the grape phylloxera in graperies— legal questions arising. 



" Bureau of Entomology, 

 " Washington, November 5, 1884. 

 " Dear Sir : In making lo you a final report of my conclusions in refer- 

 ence to the diseased condition of certain European grapevines furnished by 

 you last spring to Mr. Charles J. Osborn, of Mamaroneck, Westchester 



