REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



40T 



With such prohibition all requirements are met, and all legislation that goes beyond 

 this must necessarily be hurtful to general industry, while the prohibition of traffic 

 in American vines in countries Avhere the grape Phylloxera is known to occur can 

 have np&Befal end and may be detrimental. 



" That the rarity with which the impregnated egg is found above ground greatly 

 reduces the chances of Phylloxera introduction by cuttings is true; but in a country 

 desiring protection from such a scourge the remotest chance should not be risked. 



" While, therefore, I believe that the laws cannot be too stringent in preventing 

 the introduction and the use of grape-vines in any living condition in a non- infested 

 from an infected country, it is equally true that there is no danger in the mere 

 passage through such a country of such vines or cuttings. These are necessarily 

 boxed, and can be safely and properly shipped during the cold or non-growing sea- 

 son, when the egg is dormant, so that there is a practical impossibility in the intro- 

 duction of the insect by the mere passage, whether of vines or cuttings." 



It is obvious from what has preceded that the chief interest that the United States 

 has in the Phylloxera question lies in two directions, first, the furnishing of cuttings 

 of our own resisting varieties; secondly, the best means for our grape-growers to 

 adopt to protect the susceptible vines from the attacks of the insect which univer- 

 sally prevails here. Immense quantities of these cuttings have been shipped to 

 Europe during the last ten years. Outside of the use of such resisting stocks, which 

 is one of the best measures in the way of prevention, bisulphide of carbon and pro- 

 longed submersion have hitherto been the most satisfactory means of contending with 

 the foe. Some recent experiments at the Department, however, lead me to believe 

 that kerosene emulsions will prove more valuable than anything hitherto tried in 

 any country. The method of preparation of several of these emulsions is given in 

 the Annual Report of this Department far 1881-82, pages 112-116, and I would rec- 

 ommend that this report be also sent to Baron Struve, as well as Bulletin 1 of this 

 Division. I first expressed this conviction as to the value of kerosene emulsions as 

 against the Phylloxera, and referred to my experiments, at the last annual meeting 

 of the American Pomological Society; but I have not yet published anything from 

 the Department, as further experiments are still being made. 



Respectfully, C. V. RILEY, 



Entomologist. 



Hon. George B. Loring, 



Commissioner of Agriculture. 



IN REFERENCE TO THE TREATY OF BERNE, AND THE PROHIBITION OF 

 THE INTRODUCTION OF BULBS AND CUTTINGS FROM THE UNITED 

 STATES INTO GERMANY. 



Bureau of Entomology, 

 Washington, February 9, 1884. 

 Sir : I beg to submit the following report on the communication of Hon. A. A. Sar- 

 gent, minister to Berlin, to the honorable the Secretary of State, which you have 

 referred to me : 



Certain American exporters of grape-vines (Messrs. Boelker & Sons, of New York) 

 have complained to the Department of State concerning the exclusion of American 

 plants from Germany, and Mr. Sargent reports upon the state of the German laws 

 in reference to such importations. 



It seems that Germany, by the imperial decree of July 4, 1883, prohibits absolutely 

 the importation of grape-vines, cuttings, and roots. The importation of grapes and 

 husks and of all other plants is allowed only to nations which took part in the Berne 

 Congress of 1881, and then only under certain restrictions as to packing, certificates 

 from official experts, &c. Thus Germany has gone a step beyond the provisions of 

 the Berne Congress, and the stringency of the decree has caused great excitement 

 and indignation among nurserymen in this country. 



While no one can appreciate the necessity for stringent measures against the intro- 

 duction of the Phylloxera into non-infested countries more than I do, yet certain of 

 the provisions of this last decree appear to me utterly useless, and, without doubt, 

 they cause much loss and annoyance to nurserymen in this and other countries as 

 well as to those of Germany, without producing any corresponding benefit. 



The clause in the decree prohibiting the importation of all " nurslings, shrubs, and 

 other garden products not belonging to the category of the grape-vine, coming from 

 nurseries and hot-houses into the Empire," is based upon the possibility of the 

 winged females settling upon such plants and depositing the few eggs which give 

 birth to the true males and females which produce the winter egg. I will repeat here, 

 therefore, the conclusion which I have repeatedly urged in discussing restrictive leg- 

 islation in reference to the Phylloxera, and which the habits and life-history of the 

 insect justify. 



