MORE ABOUT THE GRAPE-VINE PEST. 167 



phates, with copperas and rape-seed ; potassic salts, with guano ; soot 

 and cinders, are, among other applications, most favorably mentioned. 



Raxge of the IifSECT IN AMERICA. — As already intimated, the 

 insect is indigenous to the North American Continent. I have been 

 able to trace its existence, with absolute certainty, as far back as 

 1834; for, in the herbarium of Dr. Engelmann, there are specimens 

 of Vitis montiGola (Buck) that were gathered that year in Texas by the 

 botanist Berlandier, and which have Phylloxera galls upon the leaves ; 

 while specimens of rijmria in the same collection, and gathered in 

 Missouri in 1845, also have the leaves disfigured by the same gall. 



We find, in consequence, that the insect is very generally distrib- 

 uted over the States. I have myself found it in Kansas, Iowa, Illi- 

 nois, Missouri, Michigan, Ontario, New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl- 

 vania, and Maryland, and have abundant evidence of its occurrence 

 in Connecticut, District of Columbia, North Carolina, Texas, and as 

 far south as Florida. It doubtless occurs in all the intermediate 

 States. There is every reason to believe, however, .that, like so many 

 other animals which occur on the eastern slope of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, but are unknown on the western slope, this Phylloxera is not 

 indigenous to the Pacific half of the continent. I have, so far, been 

 unable to trace its existence with any certainty in California ; and to 

 its non-existence there the California grape-growers doubtless owe, 

 in great part, their success in the cultivation of the European vine. 

 Yet I have strong evidence that around Sonoma the insect already 

 occurs, and has done much damage ; and it may have been intro- 

 duced either from the Eastern States or from Europe into other parts 

 of that country. It, therefore, behooves our friends of the Golden 

 State to carefully look into this matter, and to endeavor, by taking 

 the proper precautionary steps, to prevent a repetition of the disas- 

 ters which have followed the introduction and spread of Phylloxera 

 in Europe. 



Injury caused by Phylloxera in America. — In this country, 

 where, compared with Europe, land is so rich and abundant, we are 

 apt to think lightly of injury to our crops, except when such injury 

 becomes very great and wide-spread. It is a fact, long ago remarked 

 by Dr. Fitch, State Entomologist of New York, that while in Europe 

 the whole people become alarmed if a fifth of a given crop is destroyed 

 . by insects, the farmer here often thinks himself fortunate if he can 

 save half the average yield from insect depredations. Vines have 

 died year after year in our vineyards, and very little notice has been 

 taken of the fact ; while certain varieties have continually failed until 

 they have come to be discarded as unprofitable and useless. Yet the 

 day is fast coming when the growing of superior varieties, which have 

 for the most part failed, will alone be remunerative ; and I believe that 

 nothing will so tend to enable us to successfully grow them as a 

 thorough knowledge of Phylloxera, which is, in reality, the principal 



