Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-06-01
Il THE PHYLLOXERA. q
THE VINEYARDS MOST iNsIDloUS
AND DESTRUCTIVE ENEMY.

THE VINEYARDS MOST iNslDloUs
AND DESTRUCTIVE ENEMY.
(
The Nature, Multiplication and Habits
of the Pest-The French Governments
Efforts to Suppress It-Supposed Origin
of the Destroyer.
Nine. Phylloxera Vastatrix, as the scien.
fists have named her, is shown in actu fla
granite, by many illustrations. In them she
does not appear very formidable. She does
the whole work of destruction, unaided by
her spouse, resembling the busy housewife
seen everywhere in France, who does all the
work of the household, tends store acts as
nurse seamstress and cook, while the man of
the house, seldom seen at home, is probably
talking politics at the cafe. But madam is
always busy. Two ideas absorb all her en-
ergies; one is to raise large, prolific family;
the other is to find farms in her immediate
vicinity for them all. Her ambitious efforts
are always crowned with glorious success, so
that her family and the name of Phylloxera
become mighty in the land oftener repeated
than that of the great Napoleon.
Entomologists divide the phylloxera vasta-
larva; second apterous female; third, nymph;
fourth, the winged state; fifth, sexual indi-
viduals; sixth, winter egg. AS soon as an
egg is Matched the larva begins to use it's suck
ers on the tender radicals where it was laid
by its mother; it then undergoes three, some
times four, changes, similar to the casting of
the skin or shell of a locust or crab; each
time the skin cracks open on the back and
falls off, after every molting the insect be-
coming darker yellow. All this is accom-
plshed within a few days; then it has reached
maturity-now measuring three-fourths of
millimeter in width and one-half of MILL
meter in length 1t begins to lay two or
three eggs every four or five days, if the
temperature permits. In this state it lays
from twenty-five to thirty eggs. These eggs
hatch out in about ten days and give, birth to
a new generation of larvae, which produce
the apterous female. No male is known un-
der this state This is mode of reproduc-
ton often met with in the inferior animals,
being called parthenogenesis
Professor Chauzit also says that a single
larva is able to produce more than e, OOO, 900
of other larvae from the month of April to
November. During the month of July, in
the central part of France, the nymphs are
found in the roots of the vines. In this state
the body is longer and Of deeper yellow,
with two dark violet spots on each side;
these neither eat nor lay eggs, but develop in
about fifteen or twenty days into winged
phylloxera, which resemble little yellow fly
with long wings. They are carried by the
wind or fly to new fields of labor These
alight on the under side of the leaves and Law
several eggs, either on the leaves shoots or
trunks of the vines. In about two weeks
fhaSp ipdi ry;J, ,Ic
outproboscis or digestive organs The females
are larger than the males. They mate as
soon as matured; then the male dies After
the former have laid one large egg apiece,
which they deposit under the bark of wood
over one year old, they die also. These eggs
are the sixth state of the phylloxera and are
called winter eggs, because they are not
Matched out until the following spring, when
they produce a laying mother, who recon-
mences the cycle.
On the winter egg depends the fate of the
phylloxera. Professors Balbiani and Valery
Mayet, of Paris and Montpelier, say that if
the egg is destroyed the phylloxera will be
exterminated, for the principal link in its
chain of reproduction is broken, as those on
the roots would die out if not REINFORCED bv
the products of these eggs. One female is
able to produce by the end of May 500 eggs.
These, If Matched out safely, would be in
creased to 100000 in one month, Now as
there are five or six generations in one sum-
mer the enormous number of ;62, 500, OOO, 900
will be reached, and if all the progeny of one
phylloxera lived they would destroy one hec-
tare of vines in a year.
Several means have been used to combat
the pest; the most successful and expensive
among them is that of submersion. Where
dc Ia koy,
forty to sixty days no phylloxera are found.
Vineyards to be submerged must be on level
ground and lie low; trenches are dug on the
outskirts and banks thrown up so that the
vines will be sunken; then large steam pumps
force the water into the vineyard, which is
kept covered to depth Of twenty or thirty
inches during the entire period
Another method is by fumigations of sui
phur, but this is very costly and the results
do not warrant the expenditure or its con-
tinuance. Sulphur carbonate of potassium
and carbonate of sulphur are also used ex-
tensively. Neither exterminates the phyl-
loxera; only holds them in check. These
chemicals are injurious to the vines, impov-
erish the soil so much that heavy fertilizers
are required to keep life in the plants and
they destroy in measure the weight, quality,
yield and bouquet of the vine. Scientific men
have used electricity, dynamite and petro-
leum in its different forms, but still the phyl-
loxera lives. The French claim that the pest
originated in the United States 1t is certain
that they were imported into France on
American cuttings which were designed to
give harder stock to the French vines. It
is well known fact that American roots
plunge deeper apd have more radicals than
the French. Oh account of this increased
root power greater vitality is given to the
vine, more substance taken from the soil and
stronger resistance to all kinds of parasites
and diseases, just as strong, healthy man is
able to overcome and fight diseases better
than week one. American vines are being
used in phylloxerated districts to graft
French cuttings on, simply on account of the
resisting power of their roots, but this is
"hope deferred" Even American stock will
succumb to the persistent ravages of its in
sidious foe-Bordeaux Cor. Brooklyn Eagle.