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 acres 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 
