26 



INSECTICIDES, FUNGICIDES, AND WEED KILLERS. 



table prepared by Faucon gives an idea of the improvement in the 

 crop by the submersion of the vine : — 



TABLE l.—Showmg the Effect of the Systematic Immersion of Vineyards on the 

 Volume of Wine Produced. 



Year. 



1867 

 1868 



1869 



1870 

 1871 

 1872 

 1873 

 1874 

 1875 



Remarks. 



Year before the phylloxera invasion 



First year of invasion vines fumigated, non-svib 



merged 



Second year of invasion vines fumigated, non-sub 



merged 



First year with submersion without manure . 



Second „ ,, ,, 



Third year with submersion and manure 



Fourth „ „ „ (frost) 



Fifth 



Sixth 



Wine in 

 hectolitres. 



40 



35 

 1-20 

 450 

 849 

 736 

 1135 



Wine in 

 gallons. 



20,350 



880 



770 

 2,640 

 9,900 

 18,678 

 16,192 

 24,970 

 58,960 



Henceforth submersion was not slow in finding numerous partisans. 

 It has been practised a little all through France, and its use has ex- 

 tended to abroad. At the present time its efficacy is entirely accepted, 

 and also the manner in which it is necessary to operate without injur- 

 ing the submerged plants. In many districts the vines have been 

 saved from complete destruction, and in other districts, formerly un- 

 cultivated, productive and flourishing vineyards have been created. 

 Camargue is an example. In this district, where, however, the inun- 

 dation water is chai'ged with salt, submersion presents special difficul- 

 ties, and good outfalls must be organized if it is wished to avoid seeing 

 the salt appear at great distances. 



Submersion in Actual Practice. — To submerge certain privileged 

 vineyards the water of a neighbouring river may be deflected in part 

 and brought on to the land by a natural slope. In countries where 

 water is scarce it has to be propelled on to the land by powerful cen- 

 trifugal pumps working day and night. In all cases of winter 

 submersion the vineyard is divided into compartments of 4-6 

 hectares (10-15 acres), separated from each other by small dams 

 and communicatory through small ditches. Before running on the 

 water, care must be taken that the surface is well levelled so that the 

 water spreads regularly. In very windy districts, such as Vaucluse 

 and I'Aude, Barral advises the vineyard being divided into more 

 numerous compartments, the divisions between which serve to break 

 the waves raised by the wind before they attain too great an amplitude. 

 Duponchel, an advocate of undei-ground irrigation, advises, in execut- 

 ing the latter, to excavate around each stock so as to lay bare the roots 

 of the tree, thus forming as many closed basins which communicate 

 with each other by small channels. Water is made to flow therein 

 and is imbibed to a great depth by the soil around the stocks. When 

 the ground is sufficiently wet and all the water has been absorbed, all 



