Why Vines are Resistant.

Otago Witness, Issue 1921, 11 December 1890, Page 5

Why Vines are Resistant.

The scientific reason why the American grape-vine speoies should not suffer seriously with phylloxera at its roots, while the European species should suffer bo disastrously, has only reoently been satisfactorily determined, This is now decided to be from the greater depth to which the roots of the American species penetrate — too far down for the little inseots to follow. They keep comparatively near the surface. When plants of each kind are dug up, all the roots of the European are found to be affeoted, the roots being nearly all of a surface character; in the deeper-rooted species only a small proportion— those near the surface —are affeoted. The French have in a great measure mastered the enemy. The introduction of the American grape roots did much to cheok it, but the introduction of sulphates and copper solutions, which destroy inseots without injuring the 'vine, is eaid by some writera to have done more. Pipes are introduced as for our Western irrigation schemes ; and the solutions are thus led to the roots of every vine. In the mountain districts of Portugal, where most of the port wine is produced, the inhabitants have been driven almost to destitution by the destruction of the vine through the phylloxeta, and, not being readers aB the French are, have quietly suffered, under the belief that Providence is against the culture of the grape. The rocky hillsides are too dry for anything else but grapes, and benoe when these fail there they have nothing left to fall back upon. — New York Independent.