1873.] PHYLLOXERA VASTATEIX. 3 



latter date began to flag. The leaves got prematurely yellow, and 

 dropped off. Not for a moment suspecting the real cause, we were 

 much puzzled at the occurrence, it being entirely new in our ex- 

 perience. But as the effect was so limited in its extent, and the two 

 Vines being supernumeraries, and being heavily cropped, the impression 

 wore off, and no minute investigation took place. In the spring of 

 1872, most of the supernumeraries that bore heavily in 1871 were re- 

 moved, and the whole of the permanent Vines from one end of the 

 house to the other broke with equal vigour, every shoot being literally 

 packed at their points with fruit. All seemed to go right till the young 

 growths were about 3 inches long, and the stored-up sap was ex- 

 hausted. Then all the Vines at one end of the vinery, extending to 

 the middle of it, called a halt, and those at the opposite end bounded 

 on their way, running out their bunches as might have been expected. 

 The affected half " spindled " like straws, and the bunches never 

 ran out properly. The roots were of course instantly examined, 

 and all the most fibry and active parts of them were found in a 

 peculiar half-dead-looking condition. 'Not even then suspecting 

 Phylloxera as a cause, the occurrence was a puzzle, and some applica- 

 tion was suspected, though I knew of nothing but pure river-water 

 and a little soap that had been used in washing the woodwork and 

 glass. Notches or incisions were then cut in the boles of the Vines, 

 above the surface of the soil, and a little fresh loam put round them. 

 There they soon emitted strong bunches of roots, and they made a 

 tremendous struggle for life, and sent their leaders to the top of a 

 long rafter, but woefully weak compared to those at the other end of 

 the house, and the bunches were like black currants comparatively. 



As time went on, galls were discovered on the under sides of the 

 leaves at the affected end of the vinery, and this soon revealed the foe 

 that had been carrying on its work of destruction in ambush at the 

 roots, and on which it was found in myriads. The invader spread 

 towards the other end of the house as steadily and regularly as a fire 

 would progress ; and each Vine it attacked on its onward march 

 drooped, and shed its leaves suddenly and prematurely. Before it 

 got to the extreme end of the house, the Vines had brought to maturity a 

 fine crop of large bunches, and were showing no signs of distress ; but 

 — and this will give some idea of the rapidity with which the work of 

 destruction is effected — in a month afterwards some of the Vines were 

 literally dead, not having a live root ; and to save the Grapes they had 

 to be cut wholesale. 



In the same range, and adjoining this house, is a Muscat-house, the 

 Vines in which ripened a fine crop of Grapes to a beautiful golden 

 colour ; and on two grafts of Gros Guillaume there were ten bunches, 



