Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-07-20
AGRICULTURAL.
FARn, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.

THE PoTATo BUG.-We gather from
our exchanges that the potato-bug is
doing great damage In many parts o.
the State. 1t has made its appearance
In the counties of Waukesha, Grant,
Dodge, Fond du Lac, Dane, Monroe,
and some others and In those lOcali-
ties where they appeared last year they
are much more numerous this. Judg-
ling from the reports we should say that
the bugs are most numerous in Dodge
county. The Reaver Dam Citizen says
that half the fields in that region as far
as it has heard are infested with this
pest. The Argus has heard of one man
picking off and. destroying patent pail
full of the pests from a small garden
patch, but notwithstanding all asser-
tions TO the contrary, Squire Hosmer
has driven them from his vines by
sprinkling on dry ashes and lime in the
morning.
The Grant county Witness says that
"these pests seemed to have increased
ten fold since last season, and to have
progressed so far In their stage of exist
ence as to be able to fly. Persons who
have observed them say that during the
night they use their wings and fly In
perfect swarms. This accounts for the
rapidity with which they travel from
one place to another. Many things
have been recommended to stay their
work of destruction, but the most eff
| fectual is doubles to catch and then
destroy by whatever means be thought
best. The best method of catching is
to take pan or bucket and hold it
under the vines and then shake the
bugs into it. In this way a large patch
may be cleared In a short time"
The Stonghton Reporter says that a
gentleman of that town ''hss discov-
cred a way to destroy these pests.
which is simply to knock them off the
vines In the heat of the day, into the
warm. dry earth on the side of the row
next to the sun, when in few min
utes they will be found dead from the
heat of the earth. in fields a long
rope may be conveniently used for the
purpose, by two men swinging it against
therows as they pass through the field. I"
A correspondent of the Chicago
Times recommends the same mode of
treating these bugs as that just named,
and says:
'I have seen fields that were nearly
destroyed by them cleansed in this
manner. This must be done in bright,
clear days, or il will be of no use, as it
is the heat of the sand that kills them.
Whether heavy clog or black loan will
get hot enough to kill them, have not
vet ascertained. The trench between
the rows should be made quite pointed
at the bottom, so that the hot sand will
run to the centre; and when they try to
crawl up the sides of the rows, they
will tumble back to the center, which
keeps them in the hot sand. A man
can go through an acre in about two
hours.
A writer in another paper says;
Some of the wingless bugs or leeches
are now nearly full grown-myriads
are half grown, and the larvae has just
turned brown and let loose others
consequently it must be inferred that
the period Of visitation is from six to
eight weeks duration.
The writer has tried lime, ashes, &C.,
without success-ley and brine kill the
worm.
The shaking off the worm into re-
ceptacle of any kind is the surest and
most expeditions way of Graduating
the enemy-always provided that the
collected bugs or worms be burned or
scalded.
Upon every loose, dusty soil, thigh
killing" may destroy very large pro-
portion of the bugs-say 10 out of 20
but the escaping, worm enters the
ground, and will next spring reappear
winged bug, which will deposit from
eighty to one hundred eggs, or Larvae,
in an hour; and perhaps make periodi-
cal deposits for n week or more.
PLANT MORE BEANS AND PEAsE. We
believe it would be a means of greatly
improving our agriculture, if farmers
would more generally raise the above
crops; and the advantages that would
come from a system of farming where
pease and beans were to enter into
course of rotation, are many. The
latter crop is one that will stand our
hot dry summers, and being a legumin-
Gus plant, does not impoverish the soil,
while its habit of growth is such that
the horse hoe can be freely used in it's
cultivation, thereby keeping the soil
open and free from weeds. The pea rs
also an enriching crop, and although
the land upon which 1T grows can not
be cultivated, yet it SO completely
shades the ground that it is kept moist
and light, and weeds have no chance to
breathe. Neither crop is regarded as
an exhausting one, and the bean espe-
cially, is well adapted to take the same
place in our course of farming, that the
turnip takes in England-acting as a
sort of e'fallOw crop"
| According to the best analyses of
these crops, they are both extremely
rich in nitrogen; hence their consump-
ton on the farm furnishes manure rich
in ammonia, the very element needed
for the proper growth of wheat and the
other cereals. So, while In their own
period of growth they demand but a
limited amount of manure, they fur-
nish the substance, which, If converted
into manure upon the farm where
grown, add UNNECESSARILY to it's own
fertility and it's ability to produce
other crops and means of Improvement
Beans generally command n high
price in the market, and so do pease,
though the latter are not so quick, nor
do they command so high price
They are superior articles of food, and
In England, Scotland and Germany
form the chief article of diet among
the laboring classes, taking the place
of bread, and contributing to the
health and physical powers OF the peo-
pie.
If beans and pease are sold off the
farm, they do not carry away so much
=. of the fertility of the soil as some 9th.