﻿OP THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 165 



" Whereas, American vine-o;ro\vers are accused in the south of France of having 

 introduced there the Phylloxera vastatrix or Gall Louse, which is now causino- the de- 

 struction of thousands of acres of vineyards, it is due to them that this assertion be 

 removed ; it is, therefore, 



" Resolved, That a committee be appointed to fully investigate its origin, whether 

 American or imported, the amount of destruction caused here, its area of dissemina- 

 tion, etc. 



"•'The committee to report the results of their labors in the Proceedings of the 

 present session." 



The report was not submitted for discussion at Chicago, which is 

 to be regretted, as it is a very partial and one-sided statement of the 

 facts. It consists of some general statements by the chairman, of the 

 examinations made in 1874 by Messrs. Berckmans and Ravenei, and 

 published by me last year, and of additional examinations made by 

 the same parties in the same localities in 1875, and which, as embody- 

 ing the only facts in the report, I republish herewith: 



E.rami?iations made by Mr. Ravcnel in 1873. 



June 5th. — Made an examination to-day of 2 Isabellas, 1 Warren, and 1 black July 

 vines, for Grape Phylloxei'a; found nothing. 



June 11th. — Examined at Mr. Cornish's vineyard, 1 Muscat, of Alexandria,! 

 Chasselas. 1 Catawba, 1 Isabella, 1 Black July, and i Warren ; could find no traces of 

 insect life ; roots, both young and old, perfectly healthv. 



June 15. — Examined the following grape-vines at Mr. Scheveiren's vineyard, situa- 

 ted in the lower part of Aiken, 1 Isabella, 1 Catawba, 1 Delaware, 1 Clinton, 1 Concord, 

 1 Eiesling, and 1 Chasselas. These vines are about 8 years old, (except the lai-it which 

 were only 2.) healthy and vigorous, and in fine fruit; we could find no traces of insect 

 life. The young and older roots were clean and healthy, and showed no ravages in pre- 

 vious years. 



July Sth.— "Went over to Mr. Berckmans' Fruitland Nursery, near Augusta, Geor- 

 gia, and made examination of the following vines: 



1 Clinton, 2 years old, under cultivation. 



1 Clinton, 3 years old, under cultivation. 



1 Ives, 4 years old, under cultivation. 



1 Concord, 4 years old, under cultivation. 



1 Taylor, 5 years old, not cultivated one year. 



I could find no trace whatever of insect life. 



The roots of young and old are healthy, and exhibit no effects of former ravages. 



The above are transcripts from my notes taken at the time the examinations were 

 made. In the two seasons I have examined 60 .'•pecimens, comprised in 18 different va- 

 rieties of grapes, and in four separate localities. The soils of these four localities vary 

 from a light and loose tandy soil (my own, on the borders of the " sandhill" region,) 

 to a firmer and more compact (Scheveiren's in the lower part of Aiken,) and a clay loam 

 (Dr. Berckmans' in Georgia.) 



I present the above facts as they have come under my own observation. I used in 

 all these examinations a pocket glass of high magnifying power, and saw nothing 

 which I considered necessary to be put under the microscope. Had the insect been 

 present in any form, either as egg or hving animal, I could not have failed to detect it. 



Examinations made by Mr. Berckmans in IST.j. 



June Sth, 1875. — At Redcliffe, South Carolina, the residence of Harry Hammond. 

 Esq., examined Pauline, Black July. Warren, White Chasselas, several varieties of 

 Muscat and Malvaisia, soil a very stiff red clay, very compact ; vines planted in 1859-00 ; 

 cultivated three or (our years, then abandoned ; no culture for eight years, during 

 which time vines were much injured by wagons running over them; ground plowed 

 and vines received a working iu the winter of 1874 75. the first in ten years. Growth 

 luxuriant and most healthy, some of the foreign vines having canes of the new growth 

 from four to seven feet; fruit scattering, but healthy; no trace of Phylloxera. N. B. 

 The foreign vines are on their own roots. 



August 12th.— Received to-day from Mr. Hammond, thoroughly ripe and perfect 

 bunches of Chasselas from above vines. Wood and foliage perfect, notwithstanding 

 most unusually hot and dry month of July. 



