72 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT 



but a remedy — even if laborious and expensive — will be of great use 

 to us in saving the finer varieties ; and, judging by the experience in 

 Europe, I greatly incline to believe that these finer varieties, and even 

 the European vines, will succeed on our bluffs, if planted in trenches 

 first prepared with a mixture of sand and soot, or the carbolic powder 

 presently to be mentioned. 



The value of submersion or irrigation, where it can be effected, 

 has been demonstrated by M. Louis Faucon,* of Graveson, (Bouches 

 du Rhone), France, who has been indefatigable in his experiments, 

 and who considers that he has totally annihilated the insect in his 

 own vineyard. From his experience we may draw the following con- 

 clusions: 1. A vineyard should never be submerged more than two 

 days consecutively during summer. 2. The best season to submerge 

 is in autumn (September and October) when the lice are yet active and 

 the vines have ceased growing. 3. Brief and repeated inundations 

 have little effect on the lice: a submergence of 25 to 30 days is re- 

 quired to rout them all. 4. He finds that a submergence for such a 

 period in the fall or winter does not injure the vineyard, and kills all 

 the lice. 5. He makes an embankment around his vineyard, and lets 

 the water evaporate, but does not let it run off and carry away any 

 nutritive properties of the soil. 



On our best hilly vine land submersion is impossible; but on 

 some of our bottom lands, the Catawba, which is always in such 

 demand for the manufacture of sparkling wine, may be made to 

 flourish by this means. 



The fact, now ascertained beyond peradventure, that the insects, 

 both winged and wingless, crawl over the surface of the ground in 

 the months of August and September, has led to the idea of sprink- 

 ling the surface with quick-lime, ashes, sulphur, salt or other sub- 

 stance destructive to insect life, during those months. This is a prac- 

 tical step toward the ultimate management of the insect, and adds 

 still more importance to submergence and inundation. 



M. Lichtenstein has been experimenting in the way of alluring 

 the lice on to the tender rootlets of newly-set cuttings and layers, and 

 finds that a great many lice may thus be destroyed. He advises, 

 whenever a center of attack has been discovered, to layer the yet 

 healthy vines surrounding the already dead and dying ones. These 



*M. Faucon (Mcssagcr Agricolc. du Midi, Febi'uary, 1872) appeals to me lor intbrmation as to the 

 conditions of planting, nature of soil and climate, which obtain with us, and the kind of vines, 

 whether wild or cultivated, upon which my observations were made. Most of the questions which he 

 puts to me have already been answered; and I may add briefly, that our Missouri soil, comprising 

 most ot the vine lauds, iseithera sandy loam, or a heavier yellow clay, both with a limestone sub- 

 soil, and often with a layer of pure sand intervening. The heavier clays are stronger, and give a heavier 

 must, but vines are generally healthier on the sandy loams. These soils are not subject to periodic 

 inundations, and to the best of my recollection they are not unlike tho.se around Blontpellier. Our 

 vines are usually cultivated on trellis, eight feet apart in the row, and six feet between rows. The 

 climate is much like that of the South of France, though mi)re extreme and changeable. We some- 

 times have milder winters, but ordinarily the frost penetrates deeper. We are more subject to drouth 

 than to excessive rain, but we have no greater drouths than have occurred in South France of late 

 years. 



