58 THE GRAPE ROOT- WORM. 



were about 30,000 acres of vineyards in bearing. Since 1900 fully 

 10,000 acres of bearing vines have been added to this area, yet the 

 yield for 1908 was only a little more than one-half that of 1900. 



The figures given below are taken from the Chautauqua Grape 

 Belt, a newspaper which is largely devoted to the grape interests 

 of that region and every year publishes carefully gathered statistics 

 on grape production. 



Grape production from 1900 to 1909. 

 Yield for— Carloads. 



1900 8, 000 



1901 6, 669 



1902 5, 062 



1903 2, 954 



1904 : 7, 479 



1905 5, 365 



1906 5, 465 



1907 5, 186 



1908 4, 232 



1909 7, 561 



These figures denote a steady decline in crop yield traceable to a 

 variety of causes, namely, depletion of soil, lack of proper cultivation, 

 adverse weather conditions, and lack of proper fertilization. There 

 are thousands of acreg of vineyard throughout the belt that have 

 borne many crops and have never received a pound of fertilizer. It 

 is doubtful, however, if all of these factors combined could of them- 

 selves have resulted in such unfavorable vineyard conditions as have 

 been brought about by the ravages of the grape root- worm. We 

 make this statement advisedly after several seasons of careful study 

 of the habits and depredations of the pest. 



The table presents certain points of interest. Thus, in 1903 there 

 was an especially light crop of 2,954 carloads followed by a large 

 crop in 1904. About the same conditions prevailed during the 

 respective years 1908 and 1909. It should be borne in mind that a 

 considerable percentage of the phenomenal increase during the years 

 1904 and 1909 must be credited to the greater vigor of the plants 

 following the light crops of the preceding years and to extremely 

 favorable weather conditions. 



In the early history of this infestation, as previously mentioned, 

 practically all of the vineyards of the belt contained old vines with a 

 well-established root system able to withstand for several seasons even 

 a heavy infestation of the larvae before a marked decrease in yield 

 was noticeable. With the extensive planting of new vineyards since 

 the thorough dissemination of this pest its swift and deadly work 

 has become more apparent. Numerous instances have come to our 

 notice where young vineyards bearing the second or third season's 

 crop have been so severely injured that hundreds of vines died 



