December 26, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



519 



bush-like, as in France, the roots descend to a great depth in 

 the schistose soil — a depth, as I have myself had occasion to 

 observe, sometimes exceeding 15 feet. 



The same holds good, though to a less degree, 'with regard to 

 the Vines of the Bairrada district, and elsewhere in the province 

 of Beira, "where they are grown in bush shape ; and it may be 

 observed generally of this consular district that the wine can- 

 not be profitably produced except in deep soils, on account of 

 the frequency of long summer droughts, which cause the plant 

 to send its roots far down in search of moisture. 



It will easily be concluded from these facts that the conditions 

 of the growth of the Vine in Northern Portugal are by no 

 means favourable to the development of Phylloxera vastatrix. 



Senhor Oliveira, junior, mentions two instances of the 

 ravages of the insect in the port-wine district. In one of these 

 cases, the yield of wine was reduced from sixty pipes to eight 

 pipes in two years, but in neither case was it clearly proved that 

 the destruction was the work of Phylloxera vastatrix. The 

 roots of the plants in the above-cited instances were indeed 

 found to be decayed, but no insects were discovered, and no 

 particulars of the age of the Vines, depth of soil, or character 

 of the exposure, are given in either case. 



I have inquired of several extensive Vine-growers in the Alto 

 Douro (the port-wine district), and I can learn of no undoubted 

 case of the appearance of Phylloxera vastatrix. One gentleman 

 of great experience was inclined to think that the Vine has for 

 many years been subject to a disease, the symptoms of which 

 correspond to the appearance said to be produced by the ravages 

 of the insect. He had lately rooted-up Vines of his own whose 

 leaves were withered and yellow, but in no case were the roots 

 in any way affected. He mentioned having seen, in the month 

 of May of this year, a vineyard in which, in four days, the 

 leaves had changed from a healthy green to the colour and ap- 

 pearance of the common zonal Geranium, but here, unfortu- 

 nately, no further examination was made. 



The conclusions to which I have come, after fully investigating 

 this subject, may be summed-up as being — - 



1. That no certain grounds exist for believing that any, or at 

 least any serious damage has been caused in North Portugal by 

 Phylloxera vastatrix ; but, while no scientific observation what- 

 ever has been brought to bear upon the subject, it is impossible 

 to pronounce definitively upon its existence or non-existence. 



2. That the great majority of vineyards in North Portugal 

 will, from their peculiarities of cultivation, escape entirely. 



3. That it would be safe to predict that, if ever the insect 

 becomes numerous here, its destructive influence will be felt 

 first and chiefly in the vineyards which produce the Bairrada 

 wine, and afterwards, and less extensively, in the district of 

 port- wine production. 



Consul T. C. Hunt to Lord Lyons. 



Bordeaux, July 2nd, 1872. 



This insect, which seems to have been first observed in the 

 course of the year 1868 among the vineyards of the Rhone, is 

 said to feed on the juices of the most tender roots, and, by 

 cutting off the flow of sap at its fountains, to cause the death of 

 the Vine. 



I am not aware that it has been found in this part of France, 

 although reports of its existence here were not wanting as far 

 back as 1870. There can be no doubt that, as the situation of 

 the evil is of very difficult access to any topical application, the 

 introduction here of an insect of such enormous multiplying 

 functions would have been a constant subject of reference by 

 the local newspapers. 



Dr. Hooker to Viscount Esfeeld. 



Royal Gardens, Kew, September 19th, 1872. 



Youn Lordship will have gathered from these papers that the 

 Phylloxera attacks the Vine in a part — namely, the root — in 

 which it is not only very sensitive to injury, but to which the 

 application of any topical remedial agent is exceedingly difficult. 



Considering the undoubted injury which the culture of the 

 Vine has already received from the Phylloxera, and our present 

 ignorance of any effective means of arresting it, it is impossible 

 to view without alarm its gradual extension in Vine-growing 

 districts. The extreme anxiety which is felt upon the matter 

 in France is evidenced by the extensive literature which has 

 already been devoted to it. A summary of this up to the end of 

 last year, and dealing with no less than five hundred separate 

 papers and articles, has been recently published by MM. Planchon 

 and Lichtenstein, under the form of an extract from the pro- 

 ceedings of the thirty-fifth session of the " Congres Scientifique 

 de France," held at Montpellier. 



It appears from this that no remedy really effective has at 

 present been devised, except that of flooding the vineyards 

 during winter, by which means the insect is destroyed in its 

 hybernating condition. Unfortunately, though this is practi- 

 cable in the lower part of the Rhone valley, it is obviously not 

 possible in others, and these the most important of the French 

 wine-growing districts. 



The attention of the Portuguese Government seems to have 



been thoroughly roused to the importance of the subject. A 

 communication from the French Consul at Lisbon published in 

 the " Comptes Rendus " for September 9th of this year " signale 

 la presence du Phylloxera dans queJques vignobles non loin de 

 Porto, dans le district de Villa Heal, pris des provinces de 

 Douro et de Traz-os-Montes, ansi que dans le voisinage de 

 Swnta/rem, d 70 Kilom. de Lisbonne." 



It is also stated that a Commission has been appointed by the 

 Government to study the subject. 



Mr. Consul Crawfurd in his report dated Juno 29th (No. 56), 

 was probably correct in his opinion as to the exaggeration of the 

 statements current at that time. No harm can, however, arise 

 from the Vine cultivators being thoroughly warned beforehand 

 as to the serious nature of the malady. There is reason to 

 believe that on the first symptoms of attack in isolated cases 

 the prompt destruction of the Vine, its burning on the spot, and 

 the subsequent treatment of the soil with some approved in- 

 secticide, such as carbolic acid, would be of great importance. 



A communication from M. Louis Faucon, who has practised 

 the method of submersion with success, was recently laid before 

 the French Academy (" Comptes Rendus," September 9th, 1872), 

 in which the important fact, ascertained apparently with cer- 

 tainty, is announced that the Phylloxera in migrating from 

 diseased to healthy Vines comes to the surface of the ground 

 during sunshine. Its dispersion is also, no doubt, in this case 

 favoured by the action of the wind, by which it is blown along 

 the surface with dust. 



With respect to Mr. Consul Crawfurd's opinion that the deep 

 rooted Vines of the port-wine district will enjoy an immunity 

 from the disease, it is proper to remark that even deep-rooted 

 plants have superficial roots as well, and, as the Vine is notori- 

 ously sensitive in cultivation to influences injuriously affecting 

 its root action, there is reason to fear that if the superficial roots 

 of a Vine were materially affected by the Phylloxera, the health 

 of the plant would not be altogether unaffected. 



"With reference to the dispatches and enclosures relating to 

 the Bordeaux district, it appears that the presence of the Phyl- 

 loxera has been definitely ascertained there by the Commission 

 appointed to study the subject by the French Academy. Its 

 ravages are, however, more slow in their extension than in the 

 southern portion of the Rhone vaUey, and have taken a some- 

 what different form. A remarkable fact is, the immunity which 

 Vines of American species appear to enjoy in this district. 



Nor have the Vines cultivated in this country under glass 

 escaped up to the present time. There are now several weU- 

 authenticated cases of injury from the Phylloxera, and there is 

 even reason to believe that it is present in many places where it 

 has not as yet been recognised. 



GALVANISED "WIRE FOR FRUIT TREES. 

 Me. Record (page 469), wishes to hear the opinions of others 

 respecting the use of galvanised wire for fruit trees, &c. My 

 experience of it is this : I have used it for some years for 

 several in-door purposes, and more especially for Peach trees, 

 and I have never yet traced a single instance of gumming to the 

 galvanised wire alone. If I wanted to produce gumming I should 

 tie the shoots in quite tightly to the wires whilst very young and 

 tender, and in a very short time they would be bruised to such 

 an extent that I believe gumming would follow sooner or later. 

 To keep the trees healthy and entirely free from gum, which 

 is always my object, I have adopted and hitherto succeeded 

 with the following system : I twist the matting once or twice 

 round the wires for the shoot to rest against, and then tie so 

 loosely that the shoot can thicken considerably before receiv- 

 ing any pressure, which must be avoided in so young a state. 

 The shoots must be occasionally watched during the summer, 

 and, if found to be the least pinched-up for room cut the tie at 

 once and retie if needed. At the winter tying-in I adopt the 

 same precaution, and I believe if everyone were to act on this 

 principle, which has often been recommended, gumming would 

 be to a great extent lessened, if not entirely prevented. — 

 H. Harris, Xaseby Woolleys. 



SOME PREDATORY INSECTS OF OUR 

 GARDENS.— No. 38. 

 A good many animals at one time or another get the name 

 of insect applied to them, while they are, if not unlike the 

 true insects in habit, exceedingly different in structure. Thus, 

 our facetious friend Punch depicts a railway traveller asking 

 eagerly of a poiter whether he should have to pay travelling 

 charges for a good-sized tortoise he was carrying with him. In 

 answer, the official assured him that the creature was exempt, 

 as it was — an insect ! I was, however, about to say that there 

 are instances where true insects simulate the appearance of 



