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marble statuary group. The latter represents an old, decrepit, emaci- 

 ated, nearly nude female showing illness and despair in her attitude 

 and in every feature, but supported by another female figure, also 

 nearly nude, but young, strong, full of vigor and life, and very 

 beautiful. The group symbolizes the American vine coming to the 

 rescue of the French vine. On one of my visits to Montpellier, Mon- 

 sieur Havas, the long-time Director of the Viticultural School, re- 

 marked to me, " The symbolism is very beautiful and very apt, but 

 whoever saw a French woman as homely as that?! " 



We have mentiohed the waste of time in France in considering a 

 very great number of unfounded remedial plans, and have suggested 

 that perhaps it was not wise of the French government to offer large 

 prizes ; and on this subject we wish to say a little more. 



On a smaller scale of course, this prize offering for remedies has 

 been tried elsewhere ; in fact, the State of Texas tried it 30 years ago 

 in search of a competent remedy for the cotton boll weevil. The 

 prize offered was $50,000, and the State officers were overwhelmed 

 by applfcants who suggested plans of which the majority were non- 

 sensical but of which many needed careful test by conscientious and 

 trained people. It is not surprismg that the offer was withdrawn in 

 a year or two, nor is it perhaps surprising that for many years after- 

 wards the idea that a prize had been offered drifted about the world 

 and the officials of the State of Texas and of the United States 

 Government were pestered by a very great number of applicants. So 

 far as I know, not a single sound, practical idea was sent in. 



The experience of France was very well described by J. E. Planchon 

 in an article in the Revue des Deux-Mondes of January 15, 1887, as 

 quoted in Prof. Valery Mayet's book " Les Insectes de la Vigne " 

 in which Valery Mayet himself says, " What tides of ink, what floods 

 of ineptitudes, what foolish suggestions, have been inspired by the 

 prize of 300,000 francs ! " Planchon says : 



To fish out a sound idea in this torrent of fantastic lucubrations, one must 

 impose upon himself the task of removing floods of ignorance. It will be necessary 

 to speak of the toad, living under the soil to attract to himself the venom with 

 which the diseased vine is affected; it is necessary to remember that the sick 

 vine should be watered with white wine or with an emollient mixture of which 

 mallow is the principal ingredient. In the deluge of recommendations the greater 

 part are from those who confound the Phylloxera and the Oidium fungus or 

 who have never seen either of these parasitic diseases. The stripping from 

 this dossier of all the foolish things gives one a very sorry opinion of the 

 knowledge of the great public in scientific matters. These suggestions come from 

 all social ranks and from all corners of Europe. Those most forcefully 

 recommended to the Ministry of Agriculture are usually the most ignorant. The 



