" THE LEAVES OF THE TREE W6T6 FOR THE HEALING OF THE NATIONS." 39 



every way. The whole vineyard was treated alike for thirteen years after- 

 wards, well worked and heavily manured periodically. In 1880, a com- 

 mission from the French Vinegrowers Association was sent to that district 

 to inspect the vineyards in connection with the phylloxera. The trans- 

 lation of the report relative to the above mentioned vineyard runs as fol- 

 lows: 



" When we arrived at the estate of Mr. X, in the Department du Gard, and had 

 been introduced by Mr. B, Mr. X received us in a most kindly manner, showed us 

 all round the vineyard, kindly supplying us with any information we required. 

 This vineyard, which is divided into three equal parts, has been planted about 

 thirteen years, after having been destroyed by phylloxera in 1867. Each part was 

 planted on a different scale. One was planted 4x4, another 6x6, and the third 

 10 x 10. Each of them has been well worked, well and regularly manured every 

 three years ever since they have been planted. The vines in the first part planted 

 4x4, are nearly all dead, except a few around the rows along the roads-, those in 

 the second, planted 6x6 are still all alive, but look very sickly, and Mr. X told us 

 that the grapes he had gathered from them for the last few years did not pay his ex- 

 penses, and if it had not been for the hope he still had of curing them he should 

 have rooted them up long ago. The vines in the space, planted 10 x 10 were grow- 

 ing luxuriantly, and were bending under the weight of their fruit. With the help of 

 Mr. X, we dug up, ourselves, vines roots in several places in the three different 

 parts of the vineyard and we found that they were pretty well all alike, covered 

 with insects. But roots from the wide plantation did not seem to be affected by their 

 presence, while the roots from the two other parts were all more or less advanced 

 in decomposition." (Where, when and how to plant the vine, by I. Couslandt, 

 Australia, 1883, folios 13 and 14.) 



It should here be noticed that though the above vineyard soil was over- 

 run with phylloxera evolved from the closely planted vines, they were 

 utterly powerless to penetrate those planted 10 x 10. 



ATMOSPHERIC GERMS. 



The following extract from a seriously interesting lecture delivered at 

 the Cooper Medical College, San Francisco, on the evening of Friday, 

 February 24th, 1893, by Dr. W. F. Cheney, faintly illustrates some of 

 the " blessings" we eojoy from our chronic contempt for the earth's 

 forest-lungs in and around centers of population : 



" The lecture proved quite instructive and was listened to attentively by a large 

 and appreciative audience." The lecturer said : " To prove the presence in the 

 air of living forms this simple test will suffice : Take a little glassful of bullion 

 broth, filtered to remove all bits of beef fibre. Such a liquid is clear as crystal 

 and shows under the microscope not a sign of life, no matter how closely < 

 ined. Let this stand for a few days in a warm place and then examine it again. 

 The fluid is no longer clear, but turbid, and a drop placed beneath the microscope 

 will be found crowded with living things that jostle one another and hasten to and 

 fro across the scene like busy human beings in a city street. We scott perchance, 

 at miracles. Yet here is surely one. What magic art has wrought this change ? 

 Whence have come these innumerable specks of life? This was an unsolved 

 problem long after the microscope had revealed their existence. Men coulc 

 doubt their eyes the living things were present in the fluid beyond question, but 

 what had been their origin ? 



(Wholesale forest destruction and heartless selfishness in many such 

 like forms as the following extract from the 8. F. Examiner of April 26th, 

 1893 denotes : "The Grand Jury will perform an important public i 

 vice if it sets to the bottom of the frauds in sewer and street paving con- 

 tracts of the last few years. The city and the property owners have been 



