226 ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 



pumps, which work incessantly, the vine-stems continue a most 

 rapid growth, more so than if in their normal and healthy state ; 

 but they become yellow instead of white, then gradually pass to 

 brown, the shrivelled bark serving as a lair for the Phylloxera. 

 As the evil continues, the bark becomes more and more folded 

 and shrivelled, until at last it assumes a blackish tint and falls in a 

 state of decay. The insects then abandon it to make fresh 

 attacks on fresh vines. Failing fresh plants, they attack the prin- 

 cipal roots, destroying their outer coverings after penetrating well 

 below the bark. When one root is annihilated, they work under- 

 ground to another, occasionally coming on to the surface of the 

 ground to hunt for healthy vines. 



If not easy of detection in the commencement, the Phylloxera 

 cannot be overlooked after a time. After a vineyard has been 

 infested for two or three years, the stems attacked underground 

 produce only a leaf here and there. These are small and mal- 

 formed, and after languishing for a time turn yellow and roll up. 

 The whole plant dwindles, the grapes, arrested in their develop- 

 ment, hardly form, the pips split up, all fructification disappears, 

 ,the leaves get thinner and smaller than ever, and soon the vine- 

 yard presents the aspect of complete ruin. And ruin it is, for the 

 only cure is the thorough burning of the old vines. 



Many remedies have been suggested, but I do not think any 

 have been attended with much success. M. Dumas proposed the 

 employment of a concentrated alkaline solution of sulphate of 

 potassium, or soda, and the ammoniacal sulphate produced in gas 

 works. It is believed that this, if carefully used, would be efficacious, 

 as the Phylloxera would be poisoned and the vines probably much 

 benefited and strengthened by this chemical manure, but one 

 important difficulty arose, viz., the question of expense, which is 

 prohibitory. 



Monsieur Bazille, of Montpellier, is stated to have employed 

 with success, a dressing composed of cow's urine, an alkaline 

 sulphate, and Yio of oil or tar. I, however, think the true and 

 practicable preventive for the attacks of the Phylloxera has yet to 

 be discovered, and considering the immense interests at stake, such 

 a discovery would be well worth making, and the discoverer would 

 deserve well of France and the world. 



