August 2, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
67 
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COMING EVENTS 
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Southampton and Liverpool Shows (two days). 
11th Sunday after Trinity. 
Bank Holiday. 
PHYLLOXERA IN ROSSENDALE. 
SSUMING that individual experience of the 
phylloxera on the Vine may he interesting to 
gardeners as well as their employers, I shall 
without further apology, with your permission, 
trouble your readers with our experience in the 
Rossendale Valley, in the hope that it may waken 
up others who, like us in this “ cold unfertile 
region,” may have been sadly vexed in trying to 
find out what ailed their Vines. 
The Rossendale Valley, a thriving manufacturing glen in 
N.E. Lancashire, describes a half-circle to the north and 
west of Manchester, and may roughly be said to run from 
Summerseat (a short distance from Bury) to Bacup. The 
soil, with slight exceptions, is of that adhesive nature which 
forms a good material for puddle. It is also strongly im¬ 
pregnated with iron. The bottom is for the most part grit 
rock or shale, and numerous quarries and coalpits with the 
cotton and woollen mills form the staple industries. We have 
as a matter of course the usual amount of smoke and cloud 
inseparable from Lancashire. About six years ago when I 
came here I was told by neighbouring gardeners some of 
their difficulties, the principal of which under glass was the 
Vine weevil, which attacked the Vine roots, Azaleas, Primulas, 
and other plants. The first spring I had abundant proof of 
the presence of the weevil in the maggot and perfect state. 
Looking at the Vine border I could see on the surface bare 
snags of roots, having no connection with the soil, the points 
having decayed and looking as if burnt. Those below the 
surface were found much the same, having no fibres, but 
running along black and naked, the bark decayed, and in 
numerous places eaten half through into the wood. The 
Vines in most cases started weakly, but towards setting 
time became moderately strong, and continued healthy till 
the stoning process commenced. Then the large leaves 
began to show warts thickly—a dark green at first, changing 
to brown ; the few young shoots appeared to be riddled with 
yellow spots, as if lialf-eaten through. I say the few young 
shoots, because one stopping of the Vine is sufficient here. 
The fruit was under-sized in bunch and berry, and much given 
to shanking. At this period the red spider commences to 
increase vigorously, and to keep it in check it is often 
necessary to continue syringing. 
All this has been known for something like fifteen years, 
and has been laid to the charge of the Vine weevil, and to an in¬ 
definable “something in the soil.” A few of us, seeing there 
was abundance of oxide of iron in the soil, thought it might 
have caused canker, especially as the roots presented a similar 
appearance to those of the Rose, Cherry, and Plum outside. 
Acting on that conviction, several gardeners have obtained 
soil from the limestone quarries at Clitlieroe, a distance of 
twenty miles ; but in the case of one of those who renewed 
his border in the end of last year, and who replanted his 
old Vines between the young ones, I find the same symptoms 
on the leaves, and as far as could be seen on the roots. The 
Vines are of course more robust, and what is here considered 
a fair crop has been taken off. Our experience here is that 
Vines in newly made borders do moderately well till four 
or five years old, the foregoing symptoms appearing early. 
Some Vines have been renewed twice in seven years, others 
are from nine to twenty years old, the crops from poor to 
moderate, all having the same symptoms. 
A few weeks ago a statement appeared in a Manchester 
paper announcing the presence of phylloxera in a gentleman’s 
garden at Accrington, six miles from here. Never having 
seen the pest I went over there for that purpose. In a large 
span-roofed house used as a vinery, with inside border, I 
could see something was wrong. I told the gardener the 
object of my visit, adding that I hoped I was not too late. 
“ No,” said he, “ we have pulled out the Vines, but have lots 
of roots yet.” He showed me some of them. “ Why your 
roots look the same as ours in Rossendale,” I said, “ but it 
is the weevil we have.” “Oh, yes,” he replied, “ we have 
the weevil too, but we’ve surnmat else you’ll see presently.” 
With a lens we examined a few roots, and I was rewarded 
with the first sight of the dreaded phylloxera—the small 
lemon-coloured insect was there in nests and of all ages. 
As I retraced my steps I felt convinced our Vines had the 
same complaint, and after submitting specimens to a gentle¬ 
man, a naturalist in Rawtenstall, this was found to be cer¬ 
tainly the case. 
Now, there are six gardens in my immediate neighbour¬ 
hood infested by the phylloxera, and there are as many more 
which I have reasonable grounds for believing have it also. 
What I wish to point out to your readers is the fact that the 
phylloxera has been in this valley for fifteen years at least, 
and that there appear to be but few places clear of it, yet 
if it had not been for this case at Accrington being published 
there is no saying when it would have been discovered. I 
am firmly convinced there are scores of people who have had 
it in their vineries for years, and who like us have been 
fighting the wrong “ animal,” and calumniating the poor 
weevil. To such I would say, If you find warts on the under 
surface of the large leaves, if the young leaves of the laterals 
are dotted with light spots partially eaten through, then 
raise a few roots, apply a strong glass, and look carefully 
along the surface while the root is damp. If you find the 
lemon colour with the oval form you have the phylloxera ; 
and upon closer examination you will find lines running 
lengthwise and across, giving the insect the appearance of 
being tuberculated. 
As I am not at present prepared to say what we shall do 
with the Vines, I must leave the “curing process” to others; 
but if your readers feel interested in this phylloxera-stricken 
district, I may at some future time let you know what 
measures have been adopted.—J. S., Neuchurch-in-Hossendale, 
Manchester. 
[We shall be very glad indeed to know what measures 
have been adopted in this phylloxera infested district, and 
especially to learn of any means that have proved successful 
in banishing this great and mucli-dreaded enemy of the Vine. 
Since it seems probable, if not certain, that many Vines must 
be destroyed, the opportunity does not seem unfavourable for 
making a few experiments, in the hope that something per¬ 
chance may be found that will destroy the insect without 
injuring the Vines ; and even if these should be killed in the 
experiments no great loss will be involved, for if the insects 
cannot be extirpated the sooner the Vires and border are 
removed the better. 
As we remarked a few weeks ago, a nobleman’s gardener 
saturated a phylloxera-infested border with ammoniacal 
liquor from gas-works in almost the full expectation that it 
would kill the Vines. It did not kill them, but killed the 
phylloxera, and the Vines have since borne manv fine crops 
of Grapes. This liquor, we may remark, should be diluted 
with from four to six times its volume with water. We are 
not aware that petroleum has yet been tried as a remedy 
against the phylloxera, and we think it worth trying It 
may be fairly mixed in soapsuds in which a little soda is 
dissolved. An ounce of oil dissolved in a gallon of water 
