;, j.uM RATION IIORTICOLE. 



OF VINES INFESTED WITH PHYLLOXERA. 



, by If. F. Sahut 



it for the first time in the vineyards 



found in the department of Gard, in 



on- than thirty communes 



Mt.ickcil by this plague. 



Woutpcllicr, the drought of last Autumn 



iitiiimi rains chirk its multiplication, 

 millions of individuals from one family 



Qua ilarming rate of increase, many 



.11 !i-;nU to work to discover an anti- 

 uhiili have been proposed; but not 

 baa produced the desired effect. The 

 hide of carbon has of late been greatly 

 innately it has not fulfilled all the ex- 



olely efficacious treatment yet carried 

 bmenion or inundation of the vineyard 



period, as effected by 11 Faucon, of 

 eon (Bouches-du-Bhone). By diverting 

 Nirance, M. Faucon was able to inun- 

 inerent parts of his vineyard, leaving 

 rater for a month, thus drowning the 

 rcssary that wo should add that this 



supplemented by liberal dressings of 

 aid every other precaution that could 

 refore the restoration of M. Faucon's 



be attributed altogether to the effect 



\griculture having appointed a commis- 

 cacy of the various remedies proposed, 

 id Jeannot, professors at the agricul- 

 [ontpeffier, conducted the trials with 



antidotes recommended proved really 

 imed powers being invalidated, either 

 of applying them to the roots of the 

 mical decomposition they suffered or 

 >n upon the plant itself. Carbolic acid 

 e of arsenic, arsenious acid, arseniated 

 -a, tobacco, various preparations of 



calcium, sulphide of mercury, essence 

 re been successively tried, without any 

 eing obtained. Messrs Mn«* +;~. t. 



■ Monestier, Lai 

 uoters of the sulphide of 

 lea of introducing the liquid 

 &pth of about a yard, from 



^ts by volatilization. This 



method of applying it is rendered easier by the use of 

 the tubular stake, invented by M. Gervais-Mion of Mont- 

 pellier, or Vicat's borer; but these implements are not 

 sufficiently perfected to be pratical. 



Various other equally ineffective experiments have been 

 tried, as a composition of flowers of sulphur, corrosive 

 sublimate, calomel and sulphide of potassium, infusions 

 of the leaves of the Walnut and Elder trees, washing over 

 with lime and tar, watering with sea-water, growing 

 Madia sativa amongst the canes , and applying the insec- 

 ticides of Peyrat, Chermet and Kafel. Neither of these 

 preparations or operations was of any avail. We forbear 

 saying anything about those that actually kill the vine, 

 such, for instance as paraffin, essence of terebenthine , etc. 

 Nevertheless, some of the means employed have laid the 

 foundation, as it were, of successful treatment, and should 

 be noticed. They are all based upon the action of some 

 kind of manure, mixed with some substance more or 

 less fatal to insect life. As many as seventeen composi- 

 tions have been put forward, the productions of Messrs. An- 

 doque, Faucon, Villemur, Olivier, Bro, Rainaud, Rogier, 

 Legal , Menard and Sabatier , Delerue , Goirau , Allier , Iiiste , 

 Evenopoel, Grangierand two members of the commission. 

 The effect of these remedies has in no instance been to 

 destroy the insect, but by giving increased vigour to the 

 vine they enable it to struggle against the adverse influence. 

 To a certain extent, the insect may be held in check by 

 frequent manuring, forking the soil and repeated sulphur- 

 ing, in short by high cultivation. It is also recommended 

 not to permit cattle to roam amongst the vines after the vin- 

 tage, and especially to prune late. By thus paying more 

 attention to the culture of the vine we may venture to 

 hope that the plague will disappear of itself, in the same 

 manner as the Galeruca that preyed on the Elm, the Vine 

 Pyralis, the locusts of Algeria and other injurious insects. 

 In conclusion , we may recommend laying the whole of 

 a vineyard, where practicable, under water, in October 

 or November, by a temporary diversion of small streams. 

 And in the second place, liberal use of strong manures 

 and frequent tillage. The best kind of manures, according 

 to M. Sahut, are : first, from twelve to eighteen pounds 

 of farm-yard dung with from three and a half to seven 

 ounces of the sulphide of potassium to each cane; second, 

 the sulphuretted mud from the lake of Berre , mixed with 

 rape cake, at the rate of 10 to 18 ounces per cane; 

 third, gingeUy oil or castor oil cake, 18 to 36 ounces per 

 cane; fourth, soot 18 to 36 ounces to each cane. From 

 three and a half to seven ounces of sulphur may be added 

 to the manure for each plant. Cows' urine and human 

 urine are very stimulating, but they should be sparingly 

 and cautiously used. If .the leaves remain yellow, three and 

 a half ounces of the sulphate of iron dissolved in water 

 might be given to each cane. It is also desirable to change 

 the manure from time to time. 



In conclusion, we may remark that M. Planchon's pro- 

 posed plan of introducing a new stock from America should 

 be very sparingly adopted, as it has already given rise to 

 speculatmn, and the importation of an immense quantity 

 v 1 e J k g E. A. 



unsuitable : 



