472 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 25, 1888. 
that many plants were injured by the application of remedies rather than 
by the insects. My belief now is that it does not do harm unless it fastens 
itself round the collars of the plants. I tried all kinds of washes, and 
insecticides without number, each of which was pronounced infallible— 
infallible they were in failing to effect any good, while the discovery of a 
very similar “ beastie ” on the roots of Lettuces and Sowthistles made 
one despair of ever getting rid of it. I confess to never having got quite 
rid of it, but perhaps since I found out that it was not harmful, as 1 had 
once thought, I have not been so careful about it. 
Each plant may probably be said to have its own peculiar aphis, but 
there are, however, two other species of woolly aphis which, by the 
destruction they have wrought, are worthy of special note—I mean the 
American blight, Schizoneura lanigera, and the Vine blight, Phylloxera 
vastator ; the former of these is probably known to those present who 
have seen in their own or in other gardens this woolly-looking substance. 
I remember once going into a nobleman’s garden in the north of England, 
where all the Apple trees were in a hopeless state of decay, and the 
branches thickly studded with the woolly substance. Of course, this 
ought not to have been, and was simply the result of long neglect, 
although it is not by any means so easy to eradicate as some might 
imagine. It gets into the cracks and under the bark ; for some years the 
injury done to the tree is not apparent, but then the canker is developed 
and the tree is rendered useless. It must be borne in mind as showing 
the difficulty of eradication, and that besides the fact of their hiding 
under the bark they descend as winter approaches to the root of the tree, 
where they are sheltered during the severe weather, and on the return of 
spring ascend to their former habitation. There are, however, remedies 
proposed for this pest, some or all of which may be tried ; but I believe 
experience has proved that nothing succeeds so well as pure paraffin 
applied with a painter’s brush and rubbed carefully into the branches 
and bark of the tree. 
I now come to that species before which all other members of the 
family must pale, and on comparison with which they are hut innocent 
babies. We remember, indeed, that a late distinguished horticulturist, 
when people were at their wit’s end as to the cause of the Potato disease, 
attributed it to a member of the family which he designated Aphis vas¬ 
tator. This theory, however, did not meet with much favour, and has 
been for years utterly exploded, the species which well deserves the 
destructive epithet appended to it is the Phylloxera vastatrix. 
This is an entirely new pest, and we owe it, amongst other nuisances, to 
America, where it was first observed on the leaves of the Vine in 1854, 
and was first observed in France on the roots of the Vine in 1868, although 
its identity with that discovered in America was not then determined. 
In 1869 Mr. Westwood wrote on a disease of the Vine which he had 
found at Hammersmith, and which he attributed to some species of aphis. 
■Since then it has, as we know, travelled with fearful rapidity, as I shall 
presently show, but before doing so would like to give a history of it in as 
simple a way as I can, quoting from an article in the Edinburgh Review. 
The winged phylloxera pierces the upper part of a young leaf and deposits 
three or four eggs, around which a Pear-shaped gall forms on the back of 
the leaf. From these eggs are hatched male and female insects, which hare 
neither trunks, mouth, nor internal digestive organs, their whole structure 
being devoted to the formation and fertilisation of a single egg in each 
female, which exhausts the life of the mother, who is reduced to a shell 
on the exclusion of the egg. From these, the winter or true egg, issues 
about the end of March the first of a series of agamous insect larvae, 
which in its turn produces a series of generations resembling each in all 
respects, except in the increased sterility of each descent. The number 
of succeeding agamous generations is probably to some extent dependent 
on the weather.” 
Many exaggerated statements have been made as to the rapidity cf 
increase, but taken at its most moderate estimate it is evident that they 
increase far too rapidly, and I now give a few very startling statistics 
as to the ravages it has effected in France alone, adding at the same 
time that it has appeared in Italy, Germany, Spain, the Cape, Australia, 
and, indeed, in all wine-growing counties. The question has been debated 
whether the loss of the Vine is to be attributed to their being worn out 
after a period of from 1500 to 2000 years culture, and so afforded a suit¬ 
able prey for the insect, or whether the insect itself caused the diseased 
condition of the Vine. I think the latter must be assumed to be the 
case. Twenty or thirty years in so long a period can hardly have made 
much difference, and if the Vines were worn out they must surely have 
been so before 1854. Just in the same way the Potato disease was said 
"to have arisen from the degeneracy of the roots ; but here again we 
must ask, Must not this have taken place before 1846 ? If it took place 
then the degeneration could not have been so rapid. It has been stated 
in the French report to the Phylloxera Commission that the total destruc¬ 
tion of vineyards in France by the phylloxera has amounted to 1,000,000 
acres, and the loss to France has been estimated at three milliards of 
francs. Wbat this is it is hard to imagine, but when we recollect that 
the sum paid to Germany after the third invasion of France was two 
milliards it may readily be seen. 
It may be asked, Has anything been done or can be done to stop its 
ravages ? In answer to this I may say tbat in 1874 a sum of 300,000 
francs was allotted as a premium for the invention of some efficacious way 
of dealing with this pest. Up to last year this had not been claimed, so 
that here is a little gauze-winged fly which you can crush with your 
finger defying all the science and intelligence of the world to extirpate 
it. Various experiments have been tried, such as flooding the vineyard 
and so destroying the larva at the roots ; the use of sulphide of carbon 
and sulpho-caTbonate of potassium had been recommended, but they 
have not been of very real use, and nothing hut stamping it out, destroying 
the Vines, and not cultivating them again as vineyards for a period of from 
five to eight years is what has been generally adopted, and for this to 
mako up the losses of the Vine growers large sums have been each year 
added to the French budget. The idea of planting American Vines has 
been discountenanced by the Commission. 
I would now conclude in the words of a writer in the Edinburgh 
Review, to which I am indebted for many of the facts about the phyl¬ 
loxera :—“ In contemplating the insect world the most accomplished 
naturalist is soon taught how narrow is the limit of human knowledge, 
and how delicate is the balance of the productive forces of Nature. The 
self-satisfied empiric who is confiient that he has explained away the old- 
fashioned ideas of creative power and wonders by his theories of self- 
guided evolution is struck dumb by the relics of a, butterfly treasured up 
for the loDg ages that have elapsed since the deposit of the carboniferous 
strata. The theory of natural situation proves a ridiculous failure when 
its advocates are asked to explain the transformation of the winged 
insect. The most accepted laws as to animal reproduction are laughed to 
scorn by the fusion of the individual, which is carried to so remarkable 
an extent in the voracious and prolific race of the aphides. 
“ We are, indeed, forcibly reminded of what well became the brilliant 
genius of Newton when we see broad provinces struck with poverty by 
the gauzy wing of an almost microscopic fly, and an economic loss 
to more than one hundred and twenty millions sterling occasioned by the 
importation of a few eggs, perhaps a single egg, of the American phyl¬ 
loxera.” 
Royal Horticultural Society. —The following are the dates 
of the meetings of ihe Council, and of the Scientific, Fruit, and Floral 
Commit’ees in 1887 :—Councd.—January 11th, February 8th, March 8th, 
March 22nd, April 12th, April 26th, May 10th, May 24th, June 14th, 
June 28th, July 12th, July 26th, October 11th, November 8th, and 
December 13th. Scientific Committee.—January 11th, February 8th, 
March 8th and 22od, April 12th and 26th, May 10th and 24th, June 14th 
and 28th, July 12th and 26th, November 8tb, and December 13th. Fru’t 
and Floral Committees.—January 11th, February 8th, March 8th, March 
22nd, April 12th, April 26th, May 10th, May 24th, June 14th, June 28tb, 
July 12tb, July 26th, August 9th, August 23rd, September 13th, Sep¬ 
tember 27th, October 11th, October 25th, November 8th, and December 
13th, all the meeting days being Tuesdays. 
- We regret to have to announce the death of M. Constantin 
Bernard, which took place at Ixelles on the 13th inst. after a short and 
painful illness. The deceased gentleman, who was one of the most 
respected of Belgian horticulturists, was the director to the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Industry, and Public Works, and President of the Royal 
Linnaean Society, and held several distinguished orders. 
- “ J. S. B.” sends the following note on the Culture on 
Peristeria elata :—“ Few Orchids succeed better with us than the 
Dove Plant; three plants have been flowering for weeks past. It is quite 
at home in the stove, and does not seem difficult to suit as to position ; 
the three largest plants are growing on a wooden stage over a water tank ( 
a good distance from the glass, while several smaller ones are growing on 
a front stage, the foliage nearly touching the glass, all doing equally well, 
often making two and sometimes three growths from a pseudo-bulb. In 
potting we use about two-thirds rough fibrous loam, one-third peat, and a 
few lumps of charcoal, a layer of sphagnum being placed over the 
drainage, with which the pots should be about two-thirds filled. This is 
an Orchid we do not see every day, nor is it to be seen in every collection. 
Why, it is hard to say, for besides being easily grown, it is very free 
flowering. Our largest plant has borne about 130 flowers on four spikes, 
while two smaller ones have borne three dozen each on a single spike, 
their pretty white flowers quite filling the house with their sweet scent.” 
- The annual meeting of the Leek Auricula Society was 
held on the 16th inst. at Leek, where, after the appointment of the usual 
officers, with H. W. Nixon as Hon. Sac., the f dlowing resolution was 
unanimously passed :—That the second Exhibition shall be held April 
30th, 1887, and the whole of the proceeds, after paying expenses, shall be 
devoted to the funds of the Leek Cottage Hospital.” 
-October-Blooming Chrysanthemums.— Mr. A. Young re- 
