76 AMERICAN GRAPE GROWING 



into France, and the demand is still as active as ever. 

 The Lenoir, or Jacques as they call it there, for a time 

 promised to be all they wanted, as it was vigorous and 

 made an exquisite red wine. But the dry rot appeared 

 upon it ; the Cunningham and Herbemcnt were imported 

 largely, but it is feared they will not be quite hardy 

 enough for Northern France. Their attention is now 

 drawn towards the Taylor, as a very easy vine to propa- 

 gate, and an excellent stock to graft upon, and if we 

 once have varieties which have the phylloxera-proof 

 roots of the Taylor, and which besides are abundant 

 bearers, as we now seem to have in the Elvira and her 

 sisters, we have found what is desired, and the supposi- 

 tion is but natural that they will become in time the 

 wine grapes of the whole civilized world. It is indeed 

 wonderful that, when this insect threatens to destroy 

 the grapevines of the Old World, its remedy should be 

 found here in our Missouri vineyards, and it may truly 

 be called providential. It would require too much space 

 to give the full natural history of the insect, and I refer 

 those who wish to study it to the valuable Report* of 

 Prof. Riley, of which I copy the most important part : 



How THE PHYLLOXERA AFFECTS THE VINE. Prof. 

 Riley says : "The result which follows the puncture oi 

 the root louse is an abnormal swelling, differing in fora 

 according to the particular part and texture of the root. 

 These swellings, which are generally commenced at thfi 

 tips of the rootlets, eventually rot, and the lice forsake 

 them and betake themselves to fresh ones. The decay 

 affects the parts adjacent to the swellings, and on the 

 more fibrous roots cuts off the supply of sap to all parts 

 beyond. As these last decompose, the lice congregate 



* Sixth Annual Report on the Noxious, Beneficial, and Other Insects 

 of the State of Missouri, by C. V. Riley, State Entomologist. St. Louis, 

 Mo., 1874. 



