The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-04-11
AGRICULTURAL

A NEW ERA IN AMERICAN GRAPE |
CULTURE.-Tho progress of science in
connection with the useful arts has in
no way been better illustrated than in |
grape culture, which during the past |
quarter of century has become an in |
terest of no mean character among the |
industries of the United States. 1t was
very natural for those who were familiar |
with the luscious grapes and fine wines |
of Europe to suppose that the importa- |
tion of this fruit would give us all we
required to produce the same results in
our land. Indeed, the promise was rose
colored; for had we not finer climate |
for fruit culture than the best grape |
lands of Italy or the Rhine? The for
eign grape was introduced, but it was
found that though the foreign man did
very well on American soil, he could
not bring the joyous fruit with him.
The late Nicholas Longworth, of Gin
cinnati, took the matter up systemati-
cally, and it was demonstrated that only
American grapes would flourish on
American soil. Hereafter the botanist
was an important parsonage. New
grapes continually appeared; but if the
man of science decided any one of them
to be of the European race, though the
plant may have been raised in this
country from seed, the grape growers
knew enough not to risk money in ex-
perimenting with it.
But why these grapes should not do
well here, no one ever knew. The facts
were plain enough, but the reason not
obvious. In grape-houses they did
wonderfully well, and this, too, before
the advent of General Pleasonton's great
discovery of the growth-virtue of blue
grass. Moreover, there were thousands
to testify, and who will at this day testify,
that they can get the foreign grapes to
grow very well in the open air, some for
one or two and others for more years.
Why not for many years as we'll as for
few? The geologist, the botanist, the
agricultural chemist, the meteorologist
all have worked at the problem with
out avail. But Science conquers. En-
tomology has discovered the evil in her
world. There seems to be little room
for doubt that an insect is at the bottom
of the whole trouble, and that we have
literally reached the root of the thing.
The insect which causes the evil is
very small. For practical purposes we
may call it a fly. Scientifically it is
Phylorerd vastatri9. 1t works in sum-
mer on the leaves, making little tent
like eruptions on the upper surface,
which are found filled with little brown
lice. But it seems to prefer to work on
the root. In almost all vines which fail
these minute insects are found in great
quantities on the roots ; and wherever
they attach themselves the roots ulti.
mately die. Thus the vine not only
suffers from the loss of roots, by starva.
ton, but the peculiar substance which
by insect agency, makes what we know
as insect gals, seems to suffuse the whole
plant, and thus it dwindles away. These
truths were first demonstrated at Mont.
pellier, in France, and one of our owl
entomologists, Professor Riley, of st
Louis, has clearly shown that it is The
same here.
These insects, Though apparently o
such voracious appetites, have reall.
very nice tastes. They rival our epicure
in the daintiness of their selections
They prefer the European grape, but i
} is not so easy for them to get under tn
glass in wineries, and when they do tn
smoke from Virginia's favorite weet
soon finishes them. In the open al
; they prefer as their second choice thos
) nice varieties of grape which produc
: fruit near in quality with the foreigl
vines. The sparkling Catawba, or rich
) juicy Iona or Delaware are its especia
: favorites. 1.-THE Phyllorera-abound
on the roots of these favorite sorts, bu
it despises your coarser-grained Clintol
} and Concord varieties. 1t has long beel
) known to the grapist that these two ar
l the most reliable Americans. Here w
+ are taught the reason why.
= Now that the cause has been demon
4 strated, Science rests. 1t is trump
for those of her vOtaries who battle fo
: her usefulness What good are all thes
), minute abstract studies is thus point
= edly answered. But the work for tn
| practical man now commences. Th
t quick American mind is not slow to rt
= move obstacles when clearly seen, an
e we may fairly date new era in graI
4 culture from this great discovery of tn
c day.-Philddelphia Press