was at first attributed to a wrong cause, sought the aid of the 

 chemist to devise means for the destruction of the insect. 



I find by Mr. Riley's fourth report to the State Board of Agri- 

 culture, Missouri, 1872, that the application of carbolic acid has 

 produced the best result in America. 



It is stated that an effectual remedy for the disease has been 

 discovered in France by MM. Monestier Lautand and D.Ortoman, 

 of Montpelier. These gentlemen place close to the root of the 

 infected vine an uncorked bottle containing bisulphide of carbon. 

 The vapour permeates the ground and kills the insect without, it 

 is stated, injuring the roots of the vine. 



It must be admitted that without Natural Science we might 

 have remained ignorant of the cause of the vine failure, and 

 without Chemical Science, carbolic acid and bisulphide of carbon 

 would have been equally unknown. Still a more efficient remedy 

 is wanted, as the prize of 20,000 francs offered by the French 

 Government for an efficient remedy has not yet been awarded. 



It is very much to be regretted that we have not in this country 

 State Entomologists appointed, whose office would be to report on 

 the subject of " Noxious and Beneficial Insects," and whose 

 whole time might be given to the work. 



Naturalists are not an ambitious class, and good men could be 

 obtained for a very modest remuneration. A few hundreds a year 

 would provide a Government Entomologist in each of the three 

 kingdoms. 



The failure of the vine would perhaps not be a very serious 

 calamity in this country. Grapes grown out of doors are almost 

 worthless, and most of the green-house and hot-house grapes are 

 grown by the gardeners of the wealthiest classes in the community, 

 and are purely articles of luxury. 



The value of economic Entomology will perhaps be better ap- 

 preciated if I draw attention to a threatened invasion from 

 America of an insect pest highly destructive to that most valuable 

 vegetable, the potato. 



More than fifty yeai-s ago the insect to which I advert was 

 known to Entomologists as inhabiting the Rocky Mountains, and 

 feeding on a wild species of the potato genus. 



Mr. Riley drew special attention to the insect, and figured the 

 species as Doryphora decemlineata in his report to the Board of 

 Agriculture of the State of Missouri for the year 1869. He then 



