In 1879, phylloxera, a highly destructive insect that had spread throughout France, was found at Rabós d'Empordà. In less than three decades, it had ravaged all the vines in Catalonia. By 1909, 394,228 hectares of vines had been destroyed. The indigenous vines were gradually uprooted and replacement vines were grafted onto American rootstock resistant to the pest. The economic and social consequences arising from this were enormous, but modernisation of the countryside was unstoppable, with new machinery being introduced to improve work and farm output.