606 PKOCEEDING.S OF SKCTION G". 



5.— SOME MODERN YITICULTUEAL METHODS. 

 By G. E. ADCOCK, F.L.S., Principal, Viticultaral Colleije, Eutherglen. 



Viticulture, one of the most ancient branches of agriculture, 

 and for which so much of the soil and climate of Australia are pre- 

 eminently adapted, has of late years received an unfortunate " set- 

 back,"' owing to the introduction of Phylloxera. 



In the State of Victoria considerable jjrogi'ess has been made 

 with the reconstitution of vineyards on American resistant stocks, 

 and a brief resume of this Avork may not be out of place at the 

 {)iesent time, and before the present representative gathering from all 

 States of the Commonwealtli. 



As a preliminary to the subject, it will be desirable to give, as 

 briefly as possible, an account, of the insect Avhich has rendei'ed recon- 

 stitution necessary. 



As is probably well known, this terrible scQurge, Phylloxera, is a 

 native of Arneiica, and was first described just over half a century 

 ago (1854) by Mr. Asa Fitch, who had been deputed by the State 

 authoi"ities of New York to study insects in their bearing on agricul- 

 ture. During the course of his interesting investigations, he noticed 

 " galls," on the leaves of an indigenous vine. Examination disclosed 

 the tiny but formidable insects whose ravages are now only too well 

 known in all the viticultm-al countrieis of the world. 



In 1863 this pest had invaded the vineries of England, where it 

 worked great havoc. About this time rumours of a serious and 

 mysterious disease among vines in certain disti'icts of France began 

 to cause considerable uneasiness ,;ind alarm among vignerons. In 

 1864, according to Laflferiere, Phylloxera was discovered. Rooted 

 vines had been impoited from the United States, and the insects or 

 their eggs had been xmconsciously introduced with the American vines 

 imported during 1858-1862. The importers of these plants were, of 

 course, unaware of the presence of the deadly insect, and equally 

 ignorant of the terrible devastation it would be likely to cause in the 

 vineyards. Those were the days when producers had not realised 

 the risk of importing plants without the skilled supervision now 

 found essential, and provided for under the Vegetation Diseases Acts 

 of almost every country. 



Two infected centres were noticed in France, one near Garde, 

 the other near Bordeaux. Like circles on the water, these infections 

 gradually widened, taking year by year increased areas, till about 

 1880 tlie formidable invader had spread over the greater part of the 

 south of France, and commenced its irresistible advance towards the 

 north. Four years later, two and a half million acres had been 

 destroy d. So rapid and thorough was the destruction that *" vine 

 stumps" became the chief supply of fuel in wliat liad formerly been 

 tlourisJi'ng viticultural districts. All methods were tned to exter- 

 minate tjie insect, but all were equally unavailing. In about a dozen ■ 

 3'ears ! Vom its introduction, Pliylloxera had spread over the chief 

 wine-]ii!)ducing cf)untries of Europe. To-day there is hardly a viticul- 

 tural ountiy on the tuu'face of the globe which has escaped the deadly 

 infection. Introduced into Victorin with Anticultn)-al novelties some 

 thirty years ago, we have to face the problcni of i t'ciuistiliitiou or see^ 

 our vineyards rapidly dying out. 



