Ferdinand von Mueller

21/10/89

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Date stamped: Royal Gardens Kew 30. Nov. 89. There is a red pencil ✓ above the stamp.

Only a few hurried words this time, dear Mr Dyer,

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dear Mr Dyer, has been enclosed in square brackets in lead pencil.

to say that I read the able Report on measures against Phylloxera, as adopted in S. Africa, with very great interest in your admirable Bulletin.

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RBG Kew, Bulletin of miscellaneous information, 1889, p. 230.

But I like to mention at once, that the Phylloxera-Commission of Victoria found at Geelong, that even after 5 or 6 years remnants of roots of destroyed Vines were beset with Phylloxera. It is of course impossible, to eradicate with completion, and thus — here in this mild clime at all events — the insect will continue to wander from fragment to fragment of the remaining roots. Thus then it would defeat the object in view, if — as recommended in the S. African Report —, any replanting was effected on former Phylloxera-ground already after three years. I will endeavour, to speak to his Exc. Sir Henry Loch on this subject before his departure to S. Africa.

Would it be well to mention this early in the "Bulletin"?

4

The letter was published in RBG Kew, Bulletin of miscellaneous information, 1890, pp. 36-7 (B90.02.02), introduced by:

The note in the Bulletin for September 1889 on the Phylloxera in South Africa has led Sir Ferdinand von Muëller, the Government Botanist in Victoria, to address the following communication to Kew. No doubt the circumstance to which he refers is liable to recur elsewhere. The only really satisfactory way of replanting land with vines which has been infested with Phylloxera is to use vines grafted on American stocks.'