Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-06-15
[FrOm the Western Rural
The Colorado Potato Bug.

they would totally destroy the gro owing
crop of potatoes, as is entertained this
season. They began their appearance
in the vicinity of Chicago as soon as
the firstpotato tops showed themselves
above the ground, and they have con
tinued to increase from day to day,
notwithstanding the persistent efforts
of cultivators to destroy them. 1t las
seemed in some instances that twenty
came to attend the funeral of each one
killed. Not only are they destroying
the potato crop, but in some instances
they appeared in such numbers upon
the tomato crop, as soon as trans
planted, as totallyto dev0ur the plants.
They feed, in preference, upon the po
tato and egg plant Solanuna melon
gend), and next upon the tomato
They are said to feed exclusively upon
plants belonging to the night1shade
family, although We discovered them,
upon one occasion this Spring, feeding
upon plant of the common garden
thistle CirsiltD1 LanceOlatun) and we
have found them also feeding upon
and laying their eggs on buckwhcat.-
In the absence of their natural food.
we suppose that they might be induced
by starvation to feed uponrplants that
would not only not be lnlatural t.
them, but absolutely hurtful.
There are three ways that this pest
can be keptin check; first, BY abstain
ing throughout an entire region of
country for one season from PLANTING
potatoes second, by peristently pick
ing themature beetles and eggs from
the vines, and destroying them; and.
third, by busting the foliage with Paris
green, or Scheele's green of the drug
gists (arsentte Of copper J, mixed with
i've to twelve parts of -four ACCORDING
to the proportion Of arsenious acid
which the drug contains and in or
der to establish this, you must depend
upon the druggist OF whom you buy.
: The best contains from Fifty five TO If
tY-nine per cent, but it is sometimes
adulterated to contain not more than
ten per cent 1t is one of the most
deadly OF poisons, and should not be
inhaled. OF this there is no danger, if
ordinary precautions are taken Put
the mixture in a sleazy sack-one of
the thin ones in which table salt is
sold, is good; fasten this to a conven-
lent stick at the end of short string.
and in passing along between the rows.
carrying it on the opposite from which
the wind blows; continue to beat it
until the foliage is completely, though
2 lightly, busted Herewith. The insects.
In eating, eat also the poison and are
thereby killed. 1t will not be neces-
sary here again to recur to the first
manner Of getting rid of them, because
1t would be impossible to get united
action thereon; but the second man
ner stated, that of picking the beetles
and eggs, in connection with the Paris
greens viii be found effectual and
economical; for crop that costs as
much in the preparation of the land
and cost of seed, will warrant good
deal of labor in saving it. One indi.
vidual within our knowledge, this
Spring, plowed up seventeen acres oil
early potatoes, and planded the land
with beans. There had already been
expended in preparing the land, seed. |
planting, once hoeing-over three
hundred and fif. dollars. 1t would
have been wise economy to have ex
pended as much more in SAVING thn
crop (and one half that sum would
undoubtedly, have secured it) from the
depredations of the beetles and Larvae.
Every one of the beetles killed before
laying her eggs will save the Matching
of somewhere near one thousand ofl
the larvae, this being the number which
Mr.. Z. Y. Riley, state as the GUAM
tlty which the female is capable of
laying before she becomes barren.
n QhnOf fiffu. fl0x-o
their various transformations from
eggs, laryae, and pupe. Thussye see
that the larVa hatched the first of June
would deposit her eggs about the goth
OF July. The produce being from
single beetle, say, $50 females-allow-
ing one half loss from various contin-
genciess and one hal r for nales--these
would deposit 250,OOO eggs, and their
progeny again would lay Il, 500 egos
Thus. twill realily-be seen that the |
swTns of beetles that infest the cron
If allowed to increase and multinlv
would in the second generation only. I
totally destroy every potato, tomato,
and egg plant, from every field and
garden in the region infested with
them. Our Uwn plan is to Kill the
beetles determinedly, by taking two
short pieces of lath, sharnenino nm
end of each to a ch;sel edge, the level
being only on one side, and crusbino
them Between them. The chissl edoe
IS to enable you to pick them from the
ground more easily. We have found
this more convenient, especially for
getting them from the the ground
between the plants when young. than
the pineers which haye been recon.
mended.
When plants attain height Of six
inches or more, they may be readily
knocked into pan by FOLDING news
paper, and striking the plants sharp
blow; and the same plan is also eco.
nomical in getingrid of the larvg.-
Care should be taken if the Feetles or
larvae are burned, not to inhale the
smoke, as it is said to be dangerous.
The better way is to have a vessel
containing kerosene in which to
throw them. After they are killed
they should be buried.
Have no faith in killing them by
shaking down upon the earth, and
laying elder branches along the rows.
They must be dealt with by hand, and
If you believe you can overcome them
and work persistently at it, you will
surely accomplish it.
z Our observations as yet this season
have not been rewarded by finding
them deprecated upon by parasitic or
eanaDel foes to any great extent;