238 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL.84 



have become precious to humanity. Those who see these cruel injuries 

 turn towards science, but so far science has remained nearly mute." 



Just as in other European countries, the discovery of the grape- 

 vine Phylloxera in the vineyards of France in the late i86o's resulted 

 in a very great interest in at least one entomological problem — that is, 

 as soon as it was discovered to be an entomological problem. Large 

 sums of money were spent in investigations, and i)rizes were offered 

 for the discovery of a remedy. 



At one time, it is estimated, 2,500,000 acres of vineyards had been 

 destroyed, and this represented an annual loss in vine products to the 

 value of $150,000,000. The French Government had expended up to 

 1895 over $4,500,000 in its efforts to control this insect, and had 

 remitted taxes to the amount of $3,000,000 in addition. Hundreds of 

 measures to control the pest were tried out. The best preventive 

 measure was found to be the use of resistant American stocks on 

 which to graft the European vine and the planting of vineyards in 

 soil of almost pure sand. The most important remedies were the 

 underground injection of bisulphid of carbon to destroy the rool- 

 lice and, where possible, the inundating of the vineyards at certain 

 seasons of the year. 



C. V. Riley, then State Entomologist of Missouri, studied the insect 

 in its native home, and was visited by European experts, notably 

 Monsieur Foex of Montpellier. The combined advice of these two 

 men resulted in the extensive importation of American root stocks 

 into France, and largely by this method the wine industry was saved 

 to France and to the rest of Europe. It may incidentally be men- 

 tioned that in America Riley had found a predatory mite feeding 

 upon the root form of the Phylloxera, and that he sent living material 

 to Planchon and Foex for possible acclimatization in France. This 

 happened to be one of the early attempts — probably the earliest — in 

 the sending of beneficial insects to a foreign country. 



A very able zoologist, Monsieur Valery Mayet, was connected with 

 the National Agricultural School at Montpellier and was giving in- 

 struction in economic entomology. Later he published a very impor- 

 tant work entitled " The Insects of the Vine." 



Two very suggestive pai>ers by M. M. Girard were published in 

 the 1870's. Tlie one published in 1873 considered the subject of use- 

 ful carnivorous insects to be introduced into gardens to protect them 

 against destruction by injurious insects. The second of these papers, 

 published in 1876, relates to the transfer of insects by commerce in 

 plants. Girard, therefore, pointed out two subjects that were in later 

 years to receive great attention in the United States as well as in 

 other countries. 



