45 



number of different beetle-larva? attack tbe roots of the vines, particularly in 

 the light sandy soils in which most of the vineyards are now planted since 

 phylloxera has appeared. Codling moth, as in other parts of the world, is one 

 of the worst orchard pests in Hungary. 



Dr. Balint showed me over the viticultural laboratories, in which they 

 have a very fine series of plant disease?, particularly of the vine. These are 

 preserved in a saturate solution of sulphuric acid ; the jars are sealed up, and 

 thus the colours remain fixed. Among these were some very fine examples 

 of the leaf-galls of phylloxera. Another method of exhibiting diseased foliage 

 was to place the leaf between two sheets of clear glass in glycerine jelly, 

 which were then placed in frames in the windows. He showed me experi- 

 ments in testing the soil by the different weeds growing upon the poor, sandy 

 s >[}<. iii which phylloxera could not exist. With an accurate knowledge of 

 the plants growing in these soils, he said, they could say whether it was safe 

 or not to plant vines in that particular land. Subsequently I paid a visit to 

 the Nyiregyhaza district, and, through the kindness of Dr. Kallay, was able 

 to go over the vineyards near the famous Tokay district, where the land 

 ( insists of very light sandy soil. The vines are planted 3 feet apart, and 

 the rows are about the same distance, so that it is all hand cultivation. The 

 vines are covered over with sand in winter. I was told that in this district, 

 though most of the large vineyards were planted with resistant stocks, many 

 of the smaller men use the old vines, trusting to the light sandy soil. All 

 the small growers either sell the grapes to the wine-makers at so much per 

 ton, or crush the grapes and sell the must to the dealers who come round. 



The Government wine-cellars at Fincemesteri are formed of great galleries 

 and chambers hewn out of the side of the mountain of limestone, and consist 

 of two main galleries and seven cross galleries. The vintage of the Govern- 

 ment vineyards, which are very extensive, is treated here, and they usually 

 have from 7,000 to 8,000 hectolitres of wine on hand. They hold auction 

 sales four times a year, to sell off the surplus stock. Here they also have a 

 small class of ten to twelve students, who go through a three years' course of 

 wine-making and cellarman's work. 



At the School of Horticulture is another fine institution which has a 

 regular teaching staff, dealing wiih general horticulture and orchard work, 

 and on an average there are ten students at work. There is a large flower- 

 garden, an experimental vineyard, and 12 acres of orchard, where things are 

 both grown in the open and under glass. The Director said that the most 

 popular keeping apple was the " White Colville." 



At the city markets I saw a very fine collection of fruit and vegetables ; 

 and in some pens behind were a number of the white, curly-haired pigs 

 peculiar to this country, which, when seen in mobs herded in the fields at 

 any distance, might be easily mistaken for sheep. Most of the fish are kept 

 in large tanks, the seller dipping them out with a net, so that the buyer gets 

 them alive. Among the dead fish were some large sturgeon, common in the 

 waters of the Danube. 



At midnight on the 21st of April I \left Budapest for Constantinople, on 

 my road to Cyprus. Passing over the great plains of Servia and Bulgaria, 

 dotted over with flocks and herds, and over much rich farming land, I 

 reached the Turkish frontier at midnight of the second day, and arrived at 

 Constantinople about 10 o'clock the following morn 1 '^^ 



Here I did not expect to gain much information in regard to pests or 

 agriculture, but through the kindness of the British Consul, Mr. A. F, 

 Waugh, I was enabled to get into touch with some of the Government 



