January 9, 1891.] 



SCIENCE. 



17 



It was early found in the history of this Phylloxera that 

 most of the cultivated varieties of American grape-vines, as 

 also the wild species, resisted or were little subject to the 

 attacks of the root form {radicicola) of the Phylloxera ; 

 although the leaf-gall form (galUcola), which in point of 

 fact does little if any permanent damage, occurs in greater 

 numbers on many of our wild and cultivated sorts than on 

 the European grape-vines, which are all derived from the 

 single species Vitis vinifera, and which are so exceedingly 

 subject to the attacks of the root form. This fact was first 

 noticed in France by M, Laliman of Bordeaux, and later by 

 Gaston Bazille of Montpellier, and was independently 

 proved on a more extended scale by my earlier investiga- 

 tions in the United States. The use of American stocks 

 upon which to cultivate the susceptible European varieties 

 has resulted in an enormous trade in certain American seeds 

 and cuttings, and now supersedes all other methods against 

 the Phylloxera. 



It was my privilege and pleasure to spend a week in Au- 

 gust, 1889, among the world-renowned Medoc and Sauterne 

 vineyards of the Bordeaux district in France. Here, by 

 virtue of the rich alluvial soil, and the ease with which the 

 chief vineyards can be submerged, the Phylloxera has made 

 slower headway, and the opposition to the use of American 

 resistant stocks has been greatest. Yet they have finally 

 vanquished prejudice, and are, either from necessity or 

 choice, rapidly coming into general use. When I say 

 '■ choice," I mean that even where the French vines yet do 

 well, and the Phylloxera is kept in subjection by other 

 means, it is found that greater vigor of growth and increase 

 in healthfulness and yield of fruit result at once from the 

 use of the American stocks. 



Without going into a lengthy discussion of the subject of 

 wild American species, those of practical importance to tlie 

 grape-grower are the following: V. cestivalis, V. riparia, 

 and V. labrusca. 



The varieties derived from V. cestivalis are of value for 

 their fruit as well as for their resistant qualities, and, being 

 easily propagated from cuttings, they are very often used as 

 stocks. The most important varieties are Jacquez, Herbe- 

 mont, Black July, and Cunningham. 



The varieties of Vitis riparia, both wild and cultivated, 

 are, on account of their special fitness, almost exclusively 

 employed in France as resistant stocks, for which they easily 

 take first rank. The varieties used are (1) the wild forms; 

 and (2) the cultivated varieties, Solonis, Clinton, and Tay- 

 lor. Of the cultivated varieties, the Clinton was one of the 

 first vines tried for this purpose, and has been extensively 

 used with fair satisfaction. The Solonis now ranks above 

 it, but is valueless for any other purpose on account of the 

 acidity of its grapes. In California the Lenoir, Herbemont, 

 and Elvira have been used, but late experience shows that 

 the wild Riparia is most satisfactory there, as it is in 

 France. 



The different varieties of Vitis labrusca are less resistant 

 to the Phylloxera than those above mentioned. Certain 

 varieties have, however, been grown successfully in France, 

 and of these the Concord has given much the best results; 

 but others, Isabella and Catawba for example, succumb there 

 to the root-louse, as indeed they do in many sections of this 

 country. 



Of the many valuable hybrids obtained from the American 

 species of Vitis which are serviceable as stocks, the more im- 

 portant are the Elvira, Noah, and Vialla. The last named, 

 perhaps, of all the resistant varieties, gives the greatest per- 



centage of successful grafts, and is admirably adapted for 

 grafting on cuttings. 



Early in the study of the subject it was found that the 

 nature of the soil has a very marked influence on the success 

 of the different stocks. The subject has been now quite fully 

 investigated in France, and the latest researches are formu- 

 lated by the Experimental School at Montpellier in the state- 

 ment quoted below, which will be of interest as giving the 

 various classes of soils, together with the American vines best 

 adapted to each. 



''1. New deep fertile soils: Riparia (tomentous and 

 glabrous), Jacquez, Solonis, Vialla, Taylor, and Cunning- 

 ham. 



" 2. Deep soils somewhat strong, not wet : Jacquez, 

 Riparia, Solonis, Cunningham, Vialla, Taylor. 



"3. Deep soils of medium consistency, new and not dry 

 in summer: Riparia, Jacquez, Solonis, Vialla, Taylor, 

 Black July. 



"4. Light pebbly soils, deep, well drained, and not too 

 dry in summer: Jacquez, Riparia (wild), Taylor, Rupes- 

 tris. 



'■5. Calcareous soils, with subsoil shallow or granitic: So- 

 lonis, Rupestris. 



"6. Argillaceous soils, white or gray: Cunningham. 



"7. Argillaceous soils, deep and very wet: V. cinerea. -. 



"8. Deep sandy fertile soils: Riparia (wild), Solonis, 

 Jacquez, Cunningham, Black July, Rupestris. 



"9. Light pebbly soils, dry and barren: Rupestris, York, 

 Madeira, Riparia (wild). 



'"10. Deep soils with a tufa base and salt lands: Solonis. 



" 11. Soils formed of debris of tufa, but sufficiently deep: 

 Taylor. 



"12. Ferruginous soils, containing red pebbles of silica, 

 deep and somewhat strong, well drained but fresh in sum- 

 mer: all the varieties indicated, _and in addition Herbemont, 

 Clinton, Cynthiana, Marion, Concord, Herman." 



The accompanying table from the last report of the Supe- 

 rior Phylloxera Commission indicates better than words 

 can tell the steady growth in the use of the American 

 vines: — 



On the subject of direct remedies the value of the kerosene 

 emulsion for this purpose has not been properly realized in 

 France because of the relatively high price of petroleum in 

 her grape-growing departe merits. A series of experiments 

 which I made in 1883 showed conclusively its great value 

 for this purpose, as it not only destroys the insect in all 

 stages, but also stimulates root-growth. 



In this connection I have recently had a series of experi- 

 ments made through Mr. Albert Koebele's agency, in the 

 Sonoma valley, California, to ascertain the effect upon the 

 Phylloxera of certain of the resin- washes which proved so 



