13 



are entirely destroyed, and the remnants of quite a number will be dug 

 up this winter. But it has been noticed in the past that many vine- 

 yards have suddenly shown signs of the presence of the destroying 

 insect, and whole blocks of vines have died in a very short time, indi- 

 cating, evidently, that the phylloxera had, unknown and often unsur- 

 mised, been for some time hard at work at the roots. 



So it is to-day. Vines that show no signs of disease may soon be 

 swept away. It is for this reason that hardly any one can judge accu- 

 rately of the acreage of vines now infected. Those that are badly 

 diseased, or even to a fair degree, can be detected by the practiced eye, 

 if signs of this condition of things appear above ground. But detection 

 often comes first when the vines are thoroughly diseased. 



Therefore, it may be safely stated that the results of the ravages of 

 the phylloxera in our vineyards during the year or two to come cannot 

 now be accurately estimated, and the figures given in this report do not 

 begin to show the vastness of the injury now working and to follow 

 within even two years. 



Since the time resistants were first planted in this county, different 

 parties have had much expensive experience in grafting foreign varieties 

 upon them. Failure attended many of the first trials, but, profiting by 

 past efforts, grafting is performed, if proper care be taken in every detail 

 of its operation, successfully. " In my vineyard 99 per cent of grafts 

 have taken and grown vigorously," said one vineyardist. 



Many of the failures in years gone by were due to too deep and 

 careless grafting. The soil was dug away from the resistant vine sev- 

 eral inches, and the stock cut off some distance from the surface. Where 

 this method was practiced a very large per cent of the grafts often died. 

 The union of stock and scion was imperfect. In cases where the scion 

 was not inserted so low down, but still a few inches below the surface, 

 failure resulted because the roots the scion threw off were not removed, 

 through inattention or lack of knowledge. The consequence was that 

 as they grew they forced the scion out of the stock, and failure resulted. 



The best success now attained by some persons who have had much 

 experience in grafting, is to insert the scion in the resistant stock quite 

 near or at the surface of the ground. Care should always be taken to 

 see that any rootlets the scion may throw off are removed. If per- 

 mitted to grow, the phylloxera may, as often has been the case, prey 

 upon these roots and destroy the vine. When this occurs, the resistant 

 stock has frequently been condemned, though unjustly, as non-resistant. 



When due care has been taken, success has universally attended 

 grafting upon resistant stocks. Inner bark of stock and scion must be 

 sure to meet, and after tying, the earth should be firmly pressed around 

 the graft. If the cleft graft is used and but one scion is inserted, the 

 cleft to one side of the scion will readily heal, although there has been 

 some dispute on this point. 



The method of inserting the scion in the side of the stock, at an angle, 

 allowing the resistant vine above the graft to continue its growth until 

 the union is perfect, then to remove that portion of the vine above the 

 scion, has been tried, but not always with success. The theory may be 

 good, but the result often has been that the wind would sway the vine 

 back and forth, and the graft would be forced out. 



Again, it has been found best to allow the resistant stock to attain good 

 size before grafting, as, if the graft is inserted too early, there will not 



