The San Francisco call., 1898-02-06

occasion to dissect some of the phyl- loxera he found to his surprise, that they were full of bacteria, and that It took but three days to destroy the phyl- loxera on this vine. This led him to experiment further and endeavor to find conditions favorable and unfavor- able for the growth and development of the bacteria. The experiments thus far have been conducted on the laboratory scale. but with the most gratifying re- suits.
 The professors at Berkeley are anx- iously awaiting the latest reports, and If favorable some one of them will be sent to France to study this welcome parasite that feeds upon its brother parasite and destroys it. The head of the department of viticulture, when questioned as to the importance of this discovery, said that it could not posSt- bly, be overestimated. If M. de Du- bois has discovered the natural para site of the phylloxera, and we have good reason to believe he has, one Of the greatest problems confronting not oply France and California, but other nations as well, has been solved. The phylloxera has spread from America, over the wine producing world. Italy, Spain, Portugal, North and South Af- Tica, Germany, Switzerland, Austria. Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Greece and Australia, are all infested with it.
 Tn order to understand the difficult task of M. de Dubois 1t must be re- membered that these bacteria are in- finiteSimal in size: so small that it re- quires a microscope of at least 300 diam power to see them, and that it would take more than 1000 billion to make cubic inch, so that it is impossible to study their life history, as they exist in soil alone, on account of the grains of sand hiding them. With such an in dustrial meteorological laboratory as we have at Berkeley and which is the only one west of the Mississippi River, as scon as we learn something definite we can commence work.
 The first thing to be done Is to isolate them and then to find some transpar- ent medium, which corresponds to soil, in which these bacteria will grow. Then, having found this medium, you must experiment with great number of mediae to find the most favorab ble one, also they must be grown at all pos sible temperatures.
 When the proper temperature is found they can then be multiplied at will. There seems to be two forms thus far found. The work being done abroad at present is to ascertain which one is the most efficient. This is work for only the most expert and experi- enced bacteriologist. The ordinary viticulturist would find 1t beyond him. Once having isolated the bacteria and knowing it's life history it will be easy to find practical means for multiplying and applying it.
 The life history of the phylloxera is very complicated. The winter egg, microscopical in size, corrugated like ladys thimble with hook in the end, is fastened by the female insect in the beginning of winter under the old bark. From this egg comes one insect, which crawls up on the tenderest portion of the leaf and stings the upper surface As the leaf grows around it gall forms on the lower surface. In this gall the original phylloxera lays from 800 to 500 eggs, each one of which in turn produces an insect which without sex uation lays from 400 to 800 eggs. Each insect which is developed from one of these will lay from 300 to 400 eggs, and so on down, making a geo. metrical progression that cannot be figured As yet 1t is harmless to the vines, and remains on the leaf for variable time. After an uncertain length of time 1t becomes the danger ouS root form. It continues to lay an infinitesimal number of eggs and re- produces itself without sexuation. Alter It haS remained on roots of vines for an undetermined period a small number come up on the trunk of the vine and become the winged form. Each one of these lays from four to eight eggs. The insects coming from these eggs are males and females This Is the only sexuation form, and they gre without a mouth or digestive ap- paratus. The moment their mission in life is accomplished both die. The fe- male lays one egg. which is the orig inal winter egg with which the pro- gression started
 Few people in California realize that our vineyards are constantly ap- preaching the state that made it nec- essary for France to uproot hers. The imported vines in California under the present conditions are doomed to de- struction. It is only in California that grapes will grow that make wines of the European pattern, but the phyl- loxera is eating them away. There are in California at present 185, 900 acres of vines on non-ressting roots-that is, foreign roots which cannot with stand the phylloxera. Till the news of this discovery 1t was believed that