PHYLLOXEKA VASTATEIX. 55 



a half millions of gallons of wine out of the nine 

 millions imported into the country. 



As one twenty-fifth part of the area of France is now 

 under wine-cultivation, it will not excite surprise that 

 the authorities still offer a prize of 300,000 francs for 

 a real remedy and abatement of an evil, which, in 1881, 

 is said to have inflicted on this French industry a loss 

 of three milliards of money. 



From the foregoing it will appear that notwith- 

 standing we possess the complete life-history of the 

 insect, no sure, certain, and unexceptionable remedy 

 has yet been advanced. Doubtless the ravages have 

 in some districts been checked; and in others the 

 Phylloxera has even been stamped out. Flooding the 

 vines in winter has been found very efficacious, but 

 this cannot be effectual on high levels. Arseniate 

 of copper, carbon disulphide, phenic acid, and other 

 chemical agents as insecticides, have been applied 

 with greater or less success ; but such compounds, 

 apart from their cost, are highly dangerous to human 

 life. 



As an insecticide, the substance known as sulpho- 

 carbonate of potassium has been the most efficacious. 

 M. Dumas happily suggested that the poisonous effect 

 of carbon disulphide might be modified, by combining, 

 the liquid with potassium sulphide. The resulting 

 solid compound is far less volatile than the liquid, and 

 it seems also to have the advantage of acting on the 

 vine-stocks as a manure. 



From the fact that the Australian vines are less 

 liable, and are perhaps in some sorts even indifferent 

 to the attacks of Phylloxera vastatrix, it has been 

 argued that from a too select cultivation and grafting 

 "in and in," the French stocks are not sufficiently 

 robust to repel this insect, and hopes accordingly are 

 still entertained that a large gain will accrue by bud- 

 ding on new strains. The idea that the vine Aphis 

 and other Aphides also, select the weaker plants, was 

 strougly urged by the late Mr. Alfred Smee in his 



