10 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 



cause of the death of the vines was not suspected; but by an accident 

 the roots of the sickly vines were found to be covered with a small in- 

 sect, which was proved to be identical with the Phylloxera Vastatrix of 

 America. At once the search for an economical, effective remedy began. 

 Thousands of plans were proposed and tried by private persons and Gov- 

 ernment commissions; and though many were found that would result 

 in the death of the insect, yet either because of economical reasons, or 

 the danger to the vine arising from the quantities of the insecticide, 

 none were very generally adopted for the saving of the vineyards. 



REMEDIES. 



After a quarter of a century of careful and systematic study and 

 experiment, it has been found possible to combat the phylloxera by 

 means of : (a) Insecticides, (b) Submersion, (c) Planting in Sand, (d) Re- 

 sistant Vines. 



INSECTICIDES. 



The only two insecticides that have proved at all practical are Carbon 

 Bisulphid and Sulfocarbonate of Potassium. These are either injected 

 into the soil around the vine, killing the insect by the vapor, or they are 

 carried into the soil dissolved in water, as is the case with the sulfocar- 

 bonate; in some cases the carbon bisulphid is mixed by " injectors " 

 with the water and carried into the soil. It is perfectly true that when 

 these insecticides are properly applied under favorable conditions, the 

 phylloxera will be almost entirely exterminated. It is also a fact, how- 

 ever, that owing to the light doses that have to be applied on account of 

 the danger to the roots of the vine, these treatments with insecticides 

 must be given annually. This heavy annual expense, then, makes insecti- 

 cides economically practicable only on the most valuable vineyards, 

 such as those that produce the finest " chateau " wines. 



Extinction Treatment. In California, with the present state of the 

 market, insecticides are entirely too expensive to be thought of as a 

 permanent thing, though they may be useful in cases where it is desired 

 to kill every living thing, insect or vegetable, in a small spot of a vine- 

 yard that has just been infected. By promptly tearing out the diseased 

 vines as soon as a few become infected, the spread of the phylloxera 

 may be checked for a long time. This treatment "by extinction" has 

 been very successful in checking the rapidity of the spread of the 

 phylloxera in several countries where it has been systematically used. 

 The most striking examples are found in Switzerland. It is now being 

 rigorously applied in the Champagne region of France, and though no 

 hope is entertained of being able to preserve the vineyards for all time, 

 yet it is certain that their ultimate destruction will be delayed very 

 many years. 



It is a grave mistake to allow the phylloxera to remain undisturbed 

 till it has destroyed the entire vineyard. A great many years may be 

 added to the productiveness of an infected vineyard, if the diseased vines 

 be torn out as soon as they show the effects of the insect. This tearing- 

 out of the sick vines should be done, even if the soil be not treated with 

 insecticides. If nothing else be done, the vines should be carefully 



