o8 



for the eradicating, if eradication is possible, of the phylloxera, 

 there have been many letters written and devices ofEered as salva- 

 tion ; of the lot of them, including the officials, there has been 

 ■only one (Mr. ¥. de Castella's) that showed any practical means (I 

 mean before this day). -He did not try to be a scientific inventor; 

 he recognises that after all the experiments made by specialists 

 in Europe there was only three treatments- — submersion, sulphur 

 of carbon, and American vines. 



Submersion is very good where practicable. Sulphur of carbon 

 is the best in our case for the present — cost about £4 per acre, 

 not £15 or £20 as was mentioned by one of the phylloxera 

 officials. That treatment, in the case of deep soils, has the incon- 

 venience of sometimes not penetrating far enough, but still it is 

 t)etter than trying to saturate the soil with a salt solution. 

 How many inches of that liquid would it require to go 6 feet ? 



If it is really the phylloxera that is at Bendigo, how is it that 

 the winged insect has not been found? If the experts cannot 

 discover it after having recognised the subterranean ones there 

 must be something wrong, or they are not up to their business or 

 it does not exist — too much red-tape is put into those researches. 

 Fancy the Department giving instructions for all the vineyards to 

 be inspected in the autumn, when it should be at the beginning of 

 the summer when vegetation is in full work, then the phylloxera 

 spots, if any, could be detected and then later on the subterranean 

 parts inspected, but not when the leaves are drying and falling. 



As the phylloxera cannot be efficaciously eradicated the best 

 means to surmount the difficulty is to have American vines — they 

 can be disinfected so efficaciously that no insect will be found 

 attached to them ; this is the only remedy to delay the phylloxera 

 invasion, and it is only selfish ignorant ones that are not ready to 

 profit by the experiences and results shown in Europe. 



In three words — (1) Surround the Bendigo district with a line 

 20 miles outside the most distant vineyard from the infested 

 spots. (2) Oblige all vignerons in that circle to treat their vines 

 with sulphide of carbon as would be directed ; if refusing to treat 

 them, uproot them ; and uprooting places to be treated at high 

 doses. No fruit or cuttings to be transported, those vineyards to 

 be exempt of rates. 



I move that the Phylloxera Board be recommended to not make 

 any experiments but work in a sensible way in using the 

 recognised treatments, but not salt solutions — that American 

 •disinfected cuttings be allowed to be imported under examination 

 of the Government. 



Dr. L. L, Smith said that the opinion had been expressed that 

 the wine industry could be improved by the bonus system. His 

 -view was altogether different ; the point was not to cause an 



