Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-08-10
The Colorado Potato Bug.

Ihis dreGisd and iesfrrtetire insect hds
dypedred in me Potato Selds If .Nrssqohn-
sets. II will be sad day, and one long to
be remembered by the farmers of Maine.
when it Shall appear in our State. The
account of their ravages an the North
Western States, seem 10 be almost incredl-
BILE. For the information of those who do
not see the Monthly Reports ~ Department
~ Agriculture. we append the following
extracts from the June number;
Boone. County. M.-Potatoes being en-
tlrely destroyed by the bugs. In some
portions Of the county no Irish potatoe.
Will be planted, for fear OF the bugs
Wood CoaRfr. Dti0.-The Colorado DO
tato bug abundant and destructive. taking
nearly all the crop ~ fss; a II comes w.
ShesoygdH County. Ws.-rhe potato
bug has appeared by the million. Al pres
ent II looks as II We would not get n bush
el, except from the gardens. Lake Mich.
gan Is represented by our fishermen ~ be
hlled with the bugs, going over, perhaps.
TO Michigan.
Charlton County, Mp-The Colorado bug
IS moving the Irish potatoes, and the crop
Will be failure The bug eats all the
vine but the stalk.
TAsS'Ht tou'ss. -dfHh.-l he tOlOradO
bug will nearly, If not altogether. DESTROY
the crop.
io'cd.-The potato bug has made its APP
pearance In great numbers. Fear, are
entertained Of a failure OF The crop.
OtdtoG County. Nich.-we had a few po-
tato bugs last year. hut this year Ne have
myriads of them. and - raYas~> are
general throughout the State. We expect
no potatoes
No migratory yegetable-eat insect
not excepting the seventeen year locust.
army-worm, or wingless grasshopper OF
tab has ever visited this country. SO very
destructive.
Geo. Thurber, Esq. OF New York. who
has experienced their ravages, writes TO
Secretary Flint. Of Massachusetts,, "to
have every field JHrRt over in which The
beetle has made its appearance. for he
says. millions of dollars would not cover
the loss should this thing spread" The
Maine FIrHsr adds, we would urge npon
our farmers the utmost vigilance in check
ing its ravages, should the insect make its
appearance in Maine, which is not improb-
able"
A brief history OF this destructive beetle
which reading farmers have been fearing
for some years, may be of interest. 1t is
an American insect. Originally its ex-
elusive home was in the Rocky Mountains.
where, prior TO ls59, it had been known TO
exist for at least - years, feeding upon q
wild species OF potato peculiar TO that re-
gion When in oil NM rah a
In. and cultivated potatoes were grown. it
acquired the habit of eating them. and
spreading eastward, from potato patch TO
potato patch. pushing eastward At the rate
OF 50 miles a year. In 1851 It had reached
TO within LOO miles of Omaha City In Ne
braska, year later invading Iowa. In
le6t-5 crossing the Mississippi inv ading
Illinois, in ls6s into New Y ork, and In 1871
into Massachusetts. and into Maine and
the provinces soon, We fear. From the
apparent fact, that from ls5s to 1865, its
march eastward,-moying In separate col
umns, like Shermans arny-its onward
travel being 80 miles q year, its probable
arrival in the Atlantic States was comput-
ed for the year 1882, or perhaps Is soon a.
1873, but its appearance so much ahead of
time, shows that either the computation
was in error or the rate of travel has
been increased. In either case, no practi-
cal importance attaches. 1t now threat
ems 10 traverse, within a year or two,
spreading like devouring fame through
the great potatO-growing Eastward. To
say the best, We have great reason to ap-
prehend that the day Of their approach TO
us is not so distant as We had hoped
word as to their habits This insect
oaa fly, though it does so very reluctantly.
1t sends out three broods a year. The
bugs, or beetles, issue from the ground
about the first Of May. The female con-
times to deposit her eggs from time to
time, covering q period Of 40 days, and
within that time each female can lay |, 900
eggs. In 80 days after the eggs is laid,
the offspring begins to propagate. They
feed upon the tomato, eggplant, horse
nettle, and the potato, which seems to be
their choicest food. S.W.