Dec. 9, I? So] 



NA rURE 



129 



tiire, has obtained several large grants,' and proposes to 

 ask still much larger ones for the approaching campaign, 

 being anxious to assist in every way the laborious struggle. 

 M. Tisserand, the new Director at the Ol'tice of Agri- 

 culture, a man of great energy and ability, has resolved 

 to back up all his efforts, and has instituted a special 

 central staff to take charge of all documents and opera- 

 tions. The Higher Phylloxera Commission, formed by 

 order of the Minister, has also shown activity : it has 

 adopted a general legislative scheme in order to supply 

 the Government with the arms necessary to defend the 

 threatened territory. 



Switzerland and Germany soon adopted similar mea- 

 sures ; and with reference to England we must remark 

 that the Phylloxera question may soon become something 

 different from a mere matter of curiosity. Are there no 

 important vineyards in England? We are told that at 

 Liverpool alone, in the " Vineries," there are forty hectares 

 of vines grown under glass. The Phylloxera was ob- 

 served by Mr. Westwood before it was known in France. 

 It is still found here and there in Ireland, in Scotland, 

 and not far from London itself. By the admirable culti- 

 vation under glass, in which English vine-growers are 

 unrivalled, it is kept within narrow limits, but it might 



:.— Map showing the spread of Phylli 



be communicated to other places. In Switzerland one 

 single parcel of plants is reported to have brought the 

 parasite to Geneva, Schaflhausen, and Neuchatel. In any 

 case, should an international convention be instituted, 

 the enforced examination at the frontiers would hamper 

 the trade in those magnificent English grapes. The 

 rigorous measures taken against the cattle-disease suffice 

 to show what may be necessary in order to defend the 

 leaf or shoots of the vine. 



Extent of the Dtsetise.— The increase of the disease is 

 considerable; thus at the beginning of 1S77 there were 



^ One of 5C1 



) francs, which has s!nce been doubled. 



only twenty-eight departments attacked, whereas at the 

 beo-innino- of 1879, according to the official statistics, 

 there were thirty-nine. Those in the previous year, 

 in order of date,' were Loir-et-Cher, Haute-Garonne, 

 Gers, and Corrcze. In 1878 Audc, Pyrtfne'es-Orientales, 

 Haute-Loire, Vienne, Indre, Cote-d'or, and Savoie. In 

 1879, Haute-Savoie, Jura, Arriege, and Tarn. A special 

 inquiry enables us to determine what area had been 

 invaded in the end of 1879 :— the invaded vineyards 

 which had not yet succumbed were 319.760 hectares m 



■ "Le Phylloxe'ra, &c. ; Rapports publ. par le Minislcre de I'Agric." 

 8 fasc, p. 9. (Paris: Masson, 1873.) 



