790 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



The average value was estimated by the departments of agriculture 

 at Vienna and Budapesth at about 10 florins per hectoliter, being only 

 40 kreuzers, or 16 cents, per gallon, which is manifestly quite below the 

 commercial value of even the most ordinary wines. 



In Austria the chief producing districts are Dalmatia, Lower Austria, 

 the Northern Tyrol, Styria, and Istria. The character of the Austrian 

 red wines is lighter and cruder than those of France, while the white 

 wines, in respect to quality, are inferior to those of the Ehine, but pos- 

 sess a larger quantity of alcohol than either those of the Rhine or the 

 Moselle. 



Among the finest and most celebrated Austrian wines stands the 

 Voslaner, while of the Hungarian the Tokay and Paluggay are the 

 most noted. 



The phylloxera app eared in Austria in 1872 in the gardens of Kloster- 

 neuberg, near Vienna, from some vines imported from Germany for ex- 

 perimentation. Chemicals were first employed ; sulphuret of carbon 

 placed about the roots of the infected vines, but without avail. Flood- 

 ing was then tried with like results, and finally the total destruction of 

 the vines growing in the infected district was enforced bylaw, but with- 

 out satisfactory results, as the phylloxera was found several years after 

 the destruction in a living condition upon the roots of the vines. So 

 that the plague is extending from year to year, until in Austria in 1883 

 there were 4,000 vineyards, aggregating 612 hectares, infected. 



In Hungary during the past several years experiments have been 

 made with imported American vines, with great success it is affirmed, 

 but the Austrian Government until now has refused all applications for 

 permission to import American vines, on the ground that insects equally 

 dangerous to agriculture might be imported with them ; consequently 

 only the seeds of the proper varieties of grapes have as yet been im- 

 ported and planted in Austria proper, but the growth is so slow that 

 the result can not yet be declared. 



Unfortunately there seems to be a difference of opinion, and probably 

 of interest, among the experts of this country in regard to the importa- 

 tion of American vines, for while one party cry out loudly against the 

 arbitrary action of the Government in refusing the introduction of the 

 American vines, which they claim to be the only salvation for the de- 

 caying wine industry of this country, the other party as violently attack 

 the projected move, and deny that success has attended the same either 

 in Hungary or in France. 



COMMERCE OF WINE AND ARGOLS. 



The importation of wine into Austria- Hungary in 1883 v as 4,167 tons, 

 valued at 1,492,552 florins, against an export of 40,818 tons, valued at 

 7,555,938 florins. 



The prices of the imports were taken at 26 florins per hectoliter in 

 barrels, 50 florins per hectoliter in bottles, and 100 florins per hectoliter 



