October 25, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
351 
The before-mentioned benefit fund is quite self-supporting, 
and the members each contribute one month’s contribution 
to the fund immediately under notice. The interest from the 
deposits of members who discontinue payment also goes to 
this fund, the “principal” standing to their credit, and is 
paid to them or their nominees according to the rules; but 
the fund is chiefly supported by the contributions of honorary 
members of £1 Is. a year, or a life payment of £10 10'. 
These unfortunately are few, and as the Society and its 
objects become known will, we trust, increase considerably. 
So few are they that we publish their names. Life members : 
William Marshall, Samuel Morley, and James Brand, Esqrs. 
Honorary members.—Amateurs : A. H. Lancaster and J. A. 
Lewis, Esqrs. Trade and Nurserymen : Messrs. Clay and 
Levesley, R. Dean, W. Paul (Waltham), Paul & Sons (Ches- 
hunt), James Yeitch & Sons, and B. S. Williams. 
ra ^ e ® of contributions and payments were prepared 
by Mr. A. Finlaison, Government Actual'} 7 , who certifies that 
they may be. safely and fairly adopted by the members of 
the Association. Appended also is the certificate of the 
Official Registrar of the enrolment of this Society, which 
entitles it to the privileges of the Acts relating to Friendly 
Societies. 
The Committee also state that “ in drawing up these rules 
they have endeavoured to give every possible assistance to 
the ‘ Gardener ’ compatible with safety ; the many benefits 
contained in them will, they trust, cause gardeners as a body 
to join the Society and extend its benefits.” 
They also make the following appeal:— 
“ To those engaged in horticultural pursuits, both as a 
means of subsistence and pleasure, we respectfully ask them 
to use their influence in adding additional members to our 
list, for in the present day lessons of thrift are being taught 
in every way by those engaged in promoting the welfare of 
the nation,, and we believe the rules of this Society are 
framed entirely for the adoption of its principles, as they 
enforce the advantages of a savings bank with that of a 
life assurance. By enclosing a stamp the Secretary will 
reply by affording every information as to the Society’s 
benefits.” J 
His address is Mr. John F. M‘Elroy, Moray Lodge, Campden 
Hill, Kensington, London, W. We shall also be glad to 
answer any questions relative to this Society, which ought 
to become a national one, unless there is already in existence 
an institution of the same nature better deserving the support 
of gardeners in all parts of the country. 
It must be understood that this Society was not estab¬ 
lished in opposition to the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent 
Institution ; so far from this being so, Mr. M‘Elroy is a 
member of the “Royal” and not of the Society of which 
he is the Secretary, as he was too old to join. He discharges 
his duty most efficiently, and gratuitously except when there 
is a small margin in the management fund, which is given to 
him ; but his chief reward is in feeling that he is doing good, 
and the members have presented him with a watch in recog¬ 
nition of his indefatigable zeal and valuable services. 
THE PHYLLOXERA. 
In the summer of 1879 a friend and near neighbour having dis¬ 
covered, to h’S dismay, the gall as well as the radicle form of this 
minute, prolific, and destructive creature on his newly planted Vines, 
at once, with commendable candour and genuine friendship, com¬ 
municated the unpleasant news to me. It was an act of friendship, 
because man} 7 would have endeavoured to conceal the fact from even 
their most intimate friends. In short at, and previous to that time, 
many private as well as public establishments in various parts of the 
kingdom were and had been for some time previous silent, and I 
regret to say not in all cases ignorant harbourers of this unwelcome 
visitor. From these sources it was being distributed by some means 
or other, and in one form or other, to every point of the compass, not 
wilfully, but through carelessness which merited censure. 
In the autumn of 1878 I had observed with considerable dis¬ 
appointment and anxiety that the Grapes in a range of three vineries 
under my care, composed of Hamburghs, Madresfield Court, and 
Muscat of Alexandria, failed to swell and colour so well as they had 
previously done. I could, however, scarcely conceive it possible that 
these defects were occasioned by an attack of phylloxera, having in 
the previous autumn not only thoroughly examined and increased the 
size of the borders, but I had also regularly watched with the keenest 
eye for any appearance of the peculiar gall formed by this insect on 
the leaf ever since its name had sounded so unpleasantly in British 
ears.. When, however, in the summer of 1879 my neighbour paid me 
a visit and with his phyllox ra eye fully open, expressed his suspicions 
that the arch enemy was nea r , I lost no time in again examining 
the borders, and to my horror discovered its presence to an alarming 
extent. I mention these details not only to show how subtle are its 
movements and how rapid is its increase, but more especially to show 
that the gall form of the insect was never present on these Vines. 
Had the roots been infested in 1877 I should most certainly have 
detected it; I am also equally certain that no gulls had been formed 
on the foliage. 
At last, after anxiously watching for nearly a qu irter of a century, 
was I suddenly brought in close contact with the enemy, not merely a 
few scouts but an army. Those who have been similarly situated will 
clearly understand my feelings. The knowledge I then possessed of 
these creatures was somewhat imperfect, as I had imagined that so 
long as the insect and galls did not appear on the foliage I was safe 
from its attacks. Here it was, however, and the question was how to 
destroy it. Having obtained the permission of my employer to use 
my own discretion in dealing with it, I decided after mature considera¬ 
tion to destroy the Vines. Seeing a report, however, that submersion 
of the roots in a vineyard in the south of Europe had produced satis¬ 
factory results, I determined before making the new bordeis to con¬ 
struct concrete tanks in which to form them, allowing numerous 
outlets at the base to answer the purpose of drains, and which could 
be closed at will so as to allow of the borders being submerged at 
pleasure. Before finally adopting this method I selected pieces of 
root swarming with insects and placed them in numerous vessels filled 
with water, some mixed and others unmixed with earth ; these were 
carefully examined nearly every day under a powerful microscope, 
and after the lapse of three weeks they were found to be still alive. 
These experiments, however much they may differ in their results 
from some similar experiments made by others, were at least quite 
sufficient to deter me from incurring the additional expense of forming 
tanks for the purpose of submersion. The effect of submerging the 
roots for even this length of time would, I thought, be quite as bad as 
the disease. Whether the time of year when the experiments were 
made (October and November) when the insects were in a partially 
dormant condition, and might possibly then be more difficult to 
destroy, or whether the paiticular form which infested these Vines 
(the root form) is more tenacious of life than some of the other 
forms, I cannot say, but I had unmittakeable proof that they passed 
through the ordeal for twenty-one days apparently uninjured. I 
therefore decided to subject them, and all future visitors of a like 
nature, to the more potent element, fire. As quickly as possible root 
and branch, soil and rubble, were committed to a lire specially pre¬ 
pared for their reception, great care being taken that every particle 
was thoroughly reduced to ash or cinder. The walls and floors both 
inside and outside, were then thoroughly deluged and washed with a 
mixture of quicklime and water ; the woodwork and glass was well 
washed with water and soft soap ; the houses were then made as air¬ 
tight as possible and thoroughly fumigated with sulphur ; the wood 
and ironwork was then painted two coats, after which I felt that a 
fresh start might with a fair prospect of success reasonably be made. 
In preparing the new borders the greater part of the old soil in 
the form of athes and cinder was again med by mixing it with fresh 
loam. Everything being prepared the young Vines, struck from eyes 
well cleansed beforehand, were planted the following spring, and up 
to the present time I am thankful to say there is no sign of the 
reappearance of the pest. Experience has taught me, however, not 
to be too confident about this mysterious visitor, so every autuma 
I thoroughly examine the roots not only of these, but also of every 
Vine under my charge. It is sometimes said that only inside borders 
are affected, but in this case both inside and outside they were equally 
bad. 
I have frequently tried to account for its sudden and mysterious 
appearance, but have never yet been able to do so satisfactorily. The 
most reasonable inference seems to be this : The potting shed, which 
is also used as the unpacking shed, adjoins this range and communi¬ 
cates with it by a doorway through the back wall. As the Vines 
immediately opposite this door first exhibited symptoms of weakness 
and were in much the worst condition when the insects were dis¬ 
covered, it is very probable that a small piece of affected Vine root 
may have been carried or blown on to the border from some package 
received. Whether this be so or not, I have since taken very great 
care that all packing material be kept quite clear from it and at once 
consigned to the fire. If Professor Riley’s observations are correct, 
