NATURE 



\_Dcc. 9, 1880 



extent, or 76,722 more than the preceding year ; the vine- 

 yards destroyed, 474,760 ; or 101,317 more than the pre- 

 ceding year (1878). 



There is unfortunately reason to fear that the isolated 

 points may join each other and the affected patches unite. 

 The patches, whether distinct or uniting, increase about 

 15 kilometres every year ; and since the increase in any 

 direction is proportional to the time, the increase of area 

 is as the square of the time. In other words, after 2, 3, 4, 

 5 years, the evil is increased 4, 9, 16, 25 times. By merely 

 looking at a map showing the extent of the plague, one 

 can form an idea of the invading march of the terrible 

 insect. 



Yet there are actually men of science in France who join 

 in depreciating those who are employed to battle with 

 this fatal disease. It is sad to see the reception met 

 with by those who have sacrificed their time, health, 

 and scientific reputation to undertake duties so beneficial 

 to their country. " They are merely wasting their time," 

 say they; "much better not have left their personal 

 duties ; " and, true enough, those of whom this is said 

 have cruelly felt its truth. M. Dumas, however, is not 

 one of those. 



Several years ago a prize of 300,000 francs was instituted 

 to encourage investigations as to the best remedy against 

 the phylloxera. Much ingenuity was wasted, many absurd 

 remedies proposed, and it is curious to note the substances 

 which «-ere lauded by the inventors. They were for the 

 most part the same, mixed in different proportions — tars, 

 sulphur, lime, soot, urine, phenic acid, and salts of copper 

 or iron. Patient research and scientific study have alone 

 produced certain results. 



These results, however, were not accepted and acknow- 

 ledged without difficulty. Objections were accumulated 

 and many instances of partial failure were brought 

 together, ill-will and inertia playing an important part in 

 the business. Local influences, political opinions, and 

 -other extraordinary considerations, one after another, 

 opposed or favoured the results which were gained. .At 

 present the question has once for all entered upon a better 

 path, the charlatans and pretended vine-doctors having 

 entirely lost their credit. Wc are in possession of four 

 modes of treatment which are really efficacious, though 

 they vary in their effects in difterent cases. The struggle 

 therefore should be maintained. 



The various conditions of application and the entirely dif- 

 ferent principles which the application follows explain the 

 divergence of opinions and methods. The scientific remedy 

 is given : practice will decide which of the four methods 

 is at the same time most efficacious and most economical. 

 This happy result must mainly be attributed to the Com- 

 mission of the Academy of Sciences, which was presided 

 over by M. Dumas, who was the very soul of it. This 

 Commission sent '• delegates," who severally studied 

 special clearly-defined questions, like officers sent by a 

 general to make a reconnaissance in a country. 



The commissions instituted in the departments did 

 much good work, especially that of Hcrault, which con- 

 tained several distinguished members, both vine-growers 

 and scientists: MM. Marts and Planchon, Members of 

 the Institute of France ; iNl. Bazille, Senator ; M. \'ialla, 

 &c. We must also notice particularly the Viticultural 

 Station at Cognac, which was established by private sub- 

 scription, after the English manner, — a thing of rare 

 -occurrence in France. It was I\I. Lecoq de Boisbaudran, 

 now Member of the Institute, the discoverer of the metal 

 ■Galliuin, who first started the idea, and triumphanlly 

 realised it in his native town. The principal houses in 

 the trade made it a point of honour to subscribe, and the 

 expenses in four years reached a sum not less than 32,000 

 francs. It was there that the general experiments as to 

 '•'insecticides " were made, in accordance with the simple 

 method proposed by M. Cornu, Director of the Viti- 

 cultural Station, in order to determine definitively what 



substances are powerless. This work of "clearing the 

 way" necessarily occupied several years, the practical 

 part being energetically carried out by M. Mouillefert, of 

 the National School of Agriculture at Grignon, near 

 Paris, sub-director of the \'iticultural Station. Towards 

 the end of the first year they began to distinguish clearly the 

 small group of substances which alone should be utilised. 

 Amongst them was carbon disulphide (CS„), "which had 

 been indicated by Baron Thenard, abandoned and then 

 eagerly resumed by the enthusiastic M. Monestier, and at 

 last rejected in a general manner in the end of 1873 and 

 during 1874. 



The carbon disulphide by itself appearing too dange- 

 rous to human life, M. Dumas happily started the idea 

 of using it in combination with sulphide of potassium, 

 forming the sulpho-carbonate of potassium (KSCS,), 

 which is both a powerful "insecticide" and an energetic 

 manure. 



The conclusions reached by the experiments made at 

 Cognac were published towards the end of 1874 in the 

 Report of the Academy of Sciences (last quarter), and 

 the author can still defend every one of them as they 

 were then deduced, a rare circumstance in connection 

 with the phylloxera. 



Under the happy influence of the Minister of Agri- 

 cidture, the vine-growers were grouped into "vigilance- 

 committees " for watching, and " syndicates " for treating, 

 the vines. Thus the indifference of some and unreason- 

 ing excitement of others were followed by energetic 

 preparation for the struggle. At the end of 1878 there 

 were sixty committees instituted in fifty-six departments, 

 and now there are 221, embracing sixty-one departments. 

 Some of them have obtained decidedly successful results, 

 and thus furnished a powerful incentive for the others to 

 persevere. 



The expense of the applications is still considerable, 

 but in any case the most valuable vines are now out of 

 danger. The more common vines will at first cost a 

 good deal, but we are confident that scientific skill will 

 supply sulphate of carbon either free or in combination 

 at a cheaper rate, and that practical experience will 

 render its application more easy and less expensive. 

 France will thus continue to produce her wines, and 

 have the pleasure of offering them to her friends and 

 neighbours. This, though apparently a mere wish, is an 

 actual statement of fact. 



Maxime CoRNar, 

 Delegate of the Academy of Sciences, and formerly 

 Director of the Viticultural Station at Cognac 



NOTES 



The following are the arrangements for the Friday evening 

 meetings of the Royal Inslitution of Great Britain before Easter, 

 iSSi :— January 21, Warren De La Rue, D.C.L., F.R.S., 

 Sec. R.L, The Phenomena of the Electric Discharge with 14,400 

 Chloride of Silver Cells ; January 28, Dr. Andrew Wilson, 

 F.R.S.E., The Origin of Colonial Organisms ; February 4, Dr. 

 Arthur Schuster, F.R.S., The Teachings of Modern Spectro- 

 scopy ; February 11, Robert S. Ball, LL.D., F.R.S., The Dis- 

 t.inces of the Stars ; February iS, Sir John Lubbock, Bart., 

 M.P., D.C.L., F.R.S., M.R.I., Fruits and Seeds; Febi-uary 

 25, Dr. J. S. Burdon-Sanderson, LL.D., F.R.S., Excitability in 

 Plants and Animals; March 4, Sir William Thomson, LL.D., 

 F.R.S., Elasticity viewed as Possibly a Mode of Motion; 

 March 11, uncertain ; March 18, Wm. H. Stone, M.D., Musical 

 Pitch and its Determination ; March 25, Alexander Buchan, 

 M.A., F.R.S.E., Sec. Met. Soc. Scot., The Weather and Health 

 of London ; April i, uncertain ; April 8, Prof. Tyndall, D.C.L., 

 F.R.S., M.R.L 



There is nothing that will tend to keep our learned societies 

 in so wholesome a condition as healthy public opinion ; it is 



