Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-08-16
Sulphate of Iron.
; F chronicIe

l of the vine, thinking 1t has not had the general trial its cheapness as material and the success its use has met with in the few localities where 1t has been tried deserves, are urging its universal apphca- ton to the French vineyards that are suffering from the pest. It's principal apostle Is NJ. Felix Michel, a member of the committee of the Centennial Exposi- ton and of the Social Economy Com mission of the department of the Eure He claims priority for the discovery. at least in France, having in 1879 presented a memoir to the Academy of Sciences, in which he alleged that he was the only person who had ever formulated the cause of which the phylloxera is the ef- feet He also stated the price of his remedy, the quantity to be used and the mode of its application. The academy examined the subject, declared the alleg- ed facts proved, and approved the meth ods Of the experimenter. It appears that two years before, that Is, in 1877, 1t had been tried in Italy, where the vineyards have suffered but slightly from the dis ease so far.
 NJ. Michel gives his idea of the cause and origin of the phylloxera. In his opinion 1t Is organic matter in the process
 
 ed of it for the reason that cryptoerams are formed at the moment when organic matter in decomposition passes into the state of acidity, or when it finds itself de- prived of air or of an agent which brings oxygen in sufficient quantity for combus- ton. Hence he came to the conclusion that 1t was to the oxides of iron, the best known agents for hastening the combus- ton of organic matters, that was due the rich vegetation of Blanzac, in the depart ment of the Charente, in Southwestern France. In the course of his investga- ton he became convinced that the phyI- loxera was known to former generations in France as the ''yellows," and that the ancients, although the Latin writers on agriculture do not treat 1t at length. knew of the disease, and were ignorant of any successful mode of combating 1t. except in some special cases. They described 1t as a rotting of the roots, whose bark dis appeared in spots. On these spots was found sort of moss, covered with micros- copic insects. This disease, whose symp- toms were the same as those seen in the phylloxera today, was propagated from plant to plan tand from locality to locality. These in sects, says M. Michel, propagate, there is not the slightest doubt in the too active fermentation of fertilizers rich in azote and phosphates, or ln soils which contian these constituents, especially when placed in atmospheric conditions the favorlng development-that IS, deep in the argilocalcareous soils in low, damp places inaccessible to air.
 It was to study the subject at his leisure | that NJ. Michel selected Blanzac This commune is composed of plain whose I T., T. series of argilo- -calcareous strata, while its southern extremity is traversed by a chain of hills which seem to belong to the later cretaceous epoch. This chain of hills is covered at intervals with thick coating of ocherous earth mingled with a great | quantity of ferruginous sand and rounded grains of oxide of iron. The entire com mune is in vineyard, and when NJ Michel visited 1t he remarked that while the vine yards of the plain had been almost de stroyed by the phylloxera, which had made its appearance three years before, those on the hills where the soil was fer | ruginons had never ceased to produce abundant hafyests. fhis immunity oi vineyards standing side by side with those that had been ruined led him to the conclusion that tie oziie of iron iI the soil was the sole preventive in this case and might be used else where as a remedy. 1t should be remem- bered that iron presents the advantage oi not changing the taste of the wine pc culiar to any locality nor the aroma be longing to any special kind. Tine snl phate of iron applied in solution Is sup posed to transform into lnodorous sub stances the infectious odors by changing them into metallic sulphurs and fixed ammonical salts, which are of themselves sufficient to prevent the phylloxera ol destroy it after it has seriously attacked the vine.
 NJ Michel selected for experiment 10t vines that were so far gone with the phyl loxera that they had begun to turn yel low and seemed about to die. He due about each plant small hollow six inche. deep by a foot in diameter, put into | nearly three-quarters of sulphate of iror well prayed, and poured thereon nearly quart of water The treatment was ap piled at the moment the young grape: had begun to form. Every one of tho vines resumed its healthy appearance the small grapes that had begun to with CT became a healthy green, and in due time came to maturity. The treatmen of each plant cost four-fifths of sou These facts have never been denied, an( yet the sulphate of iron has never beer generally tested in France. though mil lions have been spent in applying remed ies for the phylloxera.
 M. Michel presents his view unde many forms and gives long series o facts to substantiate them. He state: that in the Atlas mountains in Algeria where the vines are always hourishinl and the vineyards abundant, the Kabyle : have for ages been in the habit of collect ing with great care the filings and all tht minute dust and fragments of iron ob tainable in the blacksmith shops anC manufactures of arms and cutlery, ans putting them about the roots of the vine A remedy which is so cheap, so easy 0 application, and whose good effects seen to be so clearly demonstrated, is certain ly worth trying in California where tn planting of new vineyards goes on s' rapidly as to prevent an adequate realiza tion of the danger from phylloxera When we have finished planting vine yards and begin trying to preserve W, shall have a better idea of what this ter rible destroyer means. Our climate wonderfully favorable to animal life an, will certainly favor the rapid propaga tion of all sorts of destructive insect [ when they are once fairly introduced All remedies that are cheap, harmles and presumably efficacious are worth a
 least the trouble of experiment.
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