Worcester daily spy., 1871-06-17
The Po.ato-Bug ON His Travels.


The potato-bug, in his mystical march east
ward, has reached a stream whose depth and
grandeur his immediate progenitors in the arid
plains of Colorado could have no conception of.
The Mississippi and the Missourt-renowned
streams-are but shallow mill-ponds to the mag
nifcent breadth, depth, current, and purity of
the Detroit. And yet even this Swiitly-howing
barrier, whose passage might well fill an army
with dread, does not deter the potato-bug. With
q sagacity that speaks for itself, or a mOcking
deprayity that speaks of satanic guidance, the
potato-bug is no whit deferred by the foam
capped waves that heaye upon the bosom Of the
Detroit.
A visit to the river yesterday revealed the fact
that entOmOlogistS, mariners, or observers of
nature, rarely, if ever before, have senior, if
seen, have never placed on record. Every chip,
plank, stave, bark board and floating thing,
large or small, in shore or channel, in stream or
eddy, was filled with a crew of potato bugs,
calm, contented, and as much at home as if
feasting upon the succulent vegetable which it
would appear they have vowed to devastate.
They gave themselves resignedly and with con-
fidence to the mercy of the wind and waves. In
accordance with the remarkable fact that their
course is universally eastward and, aided by
the wind, which no doubt was destined to aid
them on the course to fortune, they-most of
them--went toward the Canada shore. Others,
more venturesome-or perhaps better provided
with provisions struck boldly and rapidly
via Lake Erie to Buffalo. If the Buffalonians
keep watch, doubtless, in due time, the little
feet will make the perilous entrance to their
crowded harbor, and the intrepid voyagers
either disembark or continue on their journey
by that great water-course which has added so
much to the fame and wealth of the empire
state-the Erie canal.
Although they thus in myriads leave the fer
tile shores of Michigan for the luxuriaut fields
of Canada and New York, still it must not be
inferred that we are entirely deserted by them.
Wayne county is filled with them. They literally
swarm in every potato patch. The farmers
since these last few days of sunshine have de-
veloped the sluggish insects into active life
| are aghast. No hopes are entertained of secur-
| ing crop. All sorts of remedies have been
| tried. Paris green seems to have most reliance
placed upon it, The druggists of the city have
had their stock exhausted One firm disposed
of a ton in three DAYS. Telegraph orders for
some days have been transmitted to New York
to forward with all speed new and large sup
ply.
A German farmer in springwells, from lit
tie patch of quarter of an acre, on Monday
picked off-he took pains to count them-four
thousand bugs. He claims that his chickens
will eat them, but on close inspection, although
they did to some extent scratch and turn them
over, there was an evident lack of relish for the
food. The man is not inclined to believe the
stories of the poisonous nature of the bug, as he
has thus far taken them in hand with impunity.
He thought he had cleared his patch of the in
sects, but was driven TO despair on Tuesday by
beholding every plant as thickly populated as if
they had not the day before been cleared. He
says the bugs are artful deceiVers.
",You turn him over init en- straw, und he
sleeps like dead. He never kicks, he never move
a leg, he's dead, dat's sure-sure tingl Let him
90 five minutes, und when he links no man be's
look to him, he turns him right away over und
go on and eat agin. A dyYil und shmart fel,
lar md erofc aNyao kaI ok kho
thought of the Mephistophelian malice of the
bug.
Charles Gregory, of Dearborn, from little
SPOT in his garden planted in potatoes, picked
off a pailful of bugs. This was on Tuesday,
and yesterday morning there were more In this
patch than ever. neighbor of his, a Mr.. Ten
Eyck, has ten acres planted to potatoes, and
has tried various articles to expe them, ALL
however, without avail. He will now allow
them to feast on uninterrupted, and, in week
or two, will plant over again, another field with
the hope that the second crop will escape their
rayages.
A gentleman in Springwells has planted q
hundred bushels of potatoes on ground where
last year not one bug was to be seen. The field
is now alive with them-some five or six full
grown and mutitudinous minute ones on every
plant. He had some notion of picking them off
by hand from day to day, but has given up the
project as impossible. He will exhaust chem
lists shop in the attempt to discover hane for
the unparalleled and impudent insect.
A colored man in Springwels, and something
of philosopher, is also experimenting on the
bug. He had heard Of kerosene and lime and
plaster being Intellectually tried. A fash of
genius prompted the idea of molasses. Ac.
cordingly he used up about quart and watched
events.
"Dey come sab, in swarms like honey bees
Dey raced and tumbled over one anoder for to
get at that 'lasses. In no time at all de whole
spatter was as thick wild 'em as you've seen flies
on clapper shingle. Dey drunk and drunk,
and in half an hour, every speck of de 'asses
was licked up. Den they went back to de plants
just as hungry as ever. | b'lpve do if could
afford to keep hogshead of it in de field dey
would all leave the taters and lick in for de
'lasses. But as can't afford it and don't want
to call all de bugs in de town to my little patch,
Ise given up dat notion. Dey's too fond of it
altogether. Now Pm agoin' to try castor-oil--
yes, sir, castor-oi, and | think datll fetch 'em"
His theory is that the castor oil will act in the
usual way If they take it, and thus breed sort
OF cholera morbus amongst them. If they don't
take it, it will be because they are pleased with
the taste, and then by amounting the plants
they will be deferred from fastening on to the
stalks. Laughing at the idea in no wise shook
the confidence of the sable agriculturist He
declared he could afford to buy SO worth of
castor oil If the tilling worked well, and he was
convinced it would. He also corroborated the
German farmer as to the way the bugs "played
possum."
Meantime the potato bug possesses the land.
Farmers do not hope to save the crop at all.
From all parts OF the state the same cry comes
up, and potatoes have greatly risen in price,
Let the citizens of New York pray shipwreck of
the feet on Lake Erie.