The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-06-02

tructive than, the common potato
bug or blister fy-indeed the latter
may be said to be almost harmless
in comparison with this fearful pest.
This beetle is about three-eights OF
an inch long, oYal-shaped, Of a pale
yellow color, and has five black
stripes on each wing cover. 1t
comes out Of its winter quarter, IN
the ground, in May or as soon as the
potatoes have started, and soon com
menees to deposit its eggs, which are
light yellow, in clusters Of twenty to
thirty on the under side of the leaves
of the potato, to the amount Of about
seven hundred. These are hatched
out into larvae In six days, which
Immediately commence feeding up
on the plant and attain their full
growth in about two weeks; they
then descend into the ground, where
they pass into the pupa state, and
come out again in the shape Of per
feet beetles in from ten to fifteen
days. 1t will thus be seen that it
only takes
ABOUT FIFTY DAYS FROM EGG TO EGG,
and the increase would be enormous
during a season, If the eggs were not
destroyed in some manner.
The Colorado potato bug started
out on its deVasting march from its
native home in the canons Of the
Rocky Mountains in 1859, invaded
Iowa and Northern Missouri in 1861
crossed the Mississippi in 1864,
spread over Illinois and Wisconsin,
and appeared about the center Of
Indiana in 1868. It thus appears that
its progress towards the East has
been about sixty miles q year, and
its advent was hardly looked for ID
this part of Ohio before another
year. 1t is, however, here now
probably in every field of potatoes in
the country, and it is a matter Of
serious consideration.
HOW BEST TO GUARD AGAINST IT'S RAW
AGES.
Lime, plaster, coal oil and every
knows insect destroyer, has been
tried with but little if any success.
Neither ducks, turkeys, geese or
chickens will touch the beetle or its
larvae. The only applications which
have proved at all destructive have
been Paris green and powdered he'll
lebore, but these are dangerous re-
mkdies. Probably
THE ONLY PRACTICAL WAY
of guarding against, or Iessening the
danger Of a total destruction of the
crop, is to commence a war Of exter-
minatiOn against the insect and its
eggs on their very first appearance.
L first discovered their presence on
the plants three days since, and i'm
mediately set men to work to 90
over and examine every hill and
PICK OFF EVERY BUG AND LEAF
having a cluster of eggs upon it,
which are thrown into tin buckets
and afterward destroyed. Where
they have not got too much offs start
this labor is not so great as it would
seem one man being able to go over
nearly an acre in a day. Whoever
fails TO take this or some other
method Of Immediately destroying
these pests before each insect has
multiplied itself by seven hundred,
will seriously regret his mistake be-
fore many weeks. Wherever a pair
of beetles is discovered, every leaf
within a radius Of several feet should
be carefully examined for eggs. It
is said that
THE FUMES
arising from burning the insects are
poisonous, and considerable care
should be taken in handling them.
After all, however,
THE ONLY EFECTUAL CHECK
to the extraordinary increase attain
able by the ten-liYed spearmen viii
be found in its natural cannibal and
parasitic insect enemies. l have
found the common ladybird feeding
upon the eggs, and there are said to
be four Of the distinct species of the
ladybird which do so both in their
larvae and perfect state. Several
species also of the soldier bug prey
upon the popato insect when in the
larvae state. Great care should be
taken that we do not injure these
OUR ALLIES AND FRIENDS,
when carrying on a common warfare
against our enemy. The eggs Of
the lady-bird are laid nearly in the
same manner as those of the potato
BEETLE, but they are smaller in size
and fewer in number.
One Of the best informed agricul-
turists Of Illinois has estimated the
damages arising to the citizens Of
that State from the raYages Of this
bug, since his first appearance, at
thirty million dollars, and it has
seemed well to me, in view Of the fact
to have public attention directed to
its presence here, its habits, its foes,
etc., in order that we in Ohio may
take some steps to guard against it's
depredations, before it is too late.
Eternal vigilance" will be price of
potatoes with us this season.
May 19, 1871. A. B. BUTTLEs.