164 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ing it ill check in this country. T\\\?> m\tQ {Tyroglyphus j^hylloxerce 

 Planchon and Riley, Fig. 8) belongs to the same genus as the cheese 

 and meal mites [T. 2/^0, Linn.), and the species (T. entomopliagiis 

 Laboulbene) which infests preserved insects, and is such a pest in cabi- 

 nets. 



Fig. 8. 



Phylloxera Mite.— a, dorsal ; h. ventral view of female ; c, mouth-parts magnified ; d, f,g. h, 

 forms of tarsal appendages ; e, ventral tubercles of male. 



Direct Remedies. — The leaf-lice, which do not play such an im- 

 portant part in the disease as was at first supposed, may be controlled 

 with sufficient ease by a little care in destroying the first galls which 

 appear, and in pruning and destroying tlie terminal growth of infested 

 vines later in the season. The root-lice are not so easily reached. As 

 the effort will be according to the exigency, we may very naturally 

 look to France for a direct remedy, if ever one be discovered. But, 

 of all the innumerable plans, patented or non-patented, that have been 

 proposed, of all the many substances that have been experimented 

 with, under the stimulus of a large national reward, no remedy has 

 yet been discovered which gives entire satisfaction, or is applicable to 

 all conditions of soil. Nor is it likely that such a remedy ever will be 

 discovered. A large majority of the remedies proposed, such as the 

 planting of Madia sativa among the vines, or inoculating them with 

 the essence of Eucalyptus globulus, are, upon their face, absurd. 

 These we will pass by, and briefly mention only those which have 

 been more or less productive of good. 



Submersion, where practicable, and where it is total and sufiiciently 

 prolonged, is a perfect remedy. This is what even the closet-student 

 might expect, as he finds that excessive moisture is very disastrous to 

 the lice. M. Louis Foucon, of Graveson (Bouches-du-Rhone), France, 

 has abundantly proved its efiicacy, and has, by means of it, totally 

 annihilated the insect from his vineyard, which was suffering from it 

 four years ago. From his experience we may draw the following con- 

 clusions: 1. The best season to submerge is in autumn (September 

 and October), when the lice are yet active, and the vines have ceased 

 growing. Submergence for twenty-five to thirty days, at this season, 

 will generally rout the lice. 2. A submergence of forty to fifty days 



