The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-08-01

st. Nicholas.
The August number, though filed, as usu.
al, with useful information, imparts it in
that easy, story telling way that enables one
to get through it in this hot weather without
much effort. Thus Miss Sade gives world
of information in her exploits of certain
missionary insects" yet one is beguilcd into
reading 1t by its semblance to an entertaining
story, For example:
l have lately heard about some distinguish.
cd insects-traveled bugs, they are-which
have taken long journey from the State of
Missouri, across land and ocean to France,
and by rail to Paris, where they were enthu-
s.astically received--so the story goes-by
the saga1,tS at the French Academy of Sci
ences.
A supply of their lavorite food was kept IN
the huge chipboXes in which they went, and
through the long journey they were attended,
with anxious care, by NJ Panchon, a distin-
guished French naturalist. | think we will call
these important little bugs, American Mis-
sionaries to France. Do you ask Why |
will tell you
Recall to mind all you have heard and
read of sunny, southern, vine-clad France; its
lONtiy Nlut NuIuS hIul CONCI tlC tbuntIN lOl
miles and miles, identifying the valleys,
stretching up the fair hillsides and mountain
slopes, pertaining the air, in blossoming time,
with the rarest fragrance the winds ever
whafed, and filling 1t, later on, with the rich
odor of the ripened clusters.
The vineyards, blossoms, clusters, are beau
tiful, lovely, delicious; but that is not all.
What the cotton crop is TO our South, or the
wheat crop 10 our West, the vine crop is to
the grape-growng portions of France; when
that fails, the resources of the people have
failed. Nintagers who, with Il good year,
may become rich and prosperous, are ruined
when a bad year comes; and there have been
several bad years. There were two years
when the graceful leaves of the vine turned
sickly yellow, and were covered with an ugly
growth of red and white punches, when the
tender green buds never bloomed, but died
without one breath of fragrance, when whole
districts OF vineyards were ruined and their
owners Impoverished. But, you ask, why was
not something done to prevent thiss That is
just what the best vine. growers, and the WIS.
est French chemists (and there are none wis
er anywhere), have been trying to do. They
applied all manner of disiniectants, and used
every remedy they could think of; but their
efforts were all in vain
The disease is caused BY an exceedingly
minute insect with very long name, the
PhyllOrCrd cdU0iiO, the term Hyilorerd mean
ing, very appropriately, "withered leaf"
Ii is somewhat like the little green dphts
that infests your house plants. II lives upon
the sap of the tender vine, multiplcs so rap
idly, and feeds so ravenously, that within a
few years it has as utterly ruined thousands
of acres of French Vineyards rs though fire
had swept over them. There comes time
when the insects assume Il winged form, and
millions of them are then waited in perfect
clouds, from vineyard To vineyard, and wher-
ever they settle the "wiihered leaf" of the
stricken vine tells that the P6yl'0rcgd has
been there.
This is the cause, this TIE disease, and now
| viii tell you of the cure
When the chemists had failed and the vine !
growers were in despair, NJ Plachon, he
French naturalist said that he had something
TO suggest, rs the Phylor,ra was imported
from America Qhis being fact pretty well
established
Now" said VI. Planchon, eve learn that
in America, at the worst, il is never very
harmful; there must evidently then, be some
other insect that prcyS upcn and keeps this
one down"
so tho French Minister of Agriculture sent
T. Planchon to America t. learn all lie could
about this ccnqueror of the PAyilorcra
Professor Planchon reached America last
August He visited the vineyards of the /
Eastern States CT Missouri, aud North Caro- |
lima.
lie found the Paylctscl 81 It's work Of mis-
chief and you may i-y 10 imagine his JOY