The Potter journal and news item. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1872-1874, 1873-07-23
NEW RICHMOND, Wisconsin, !
July Tth 1873. (

NEW RICHMOND, Wisconsin,
july Tth 1873
DEAR JOURNAL AND ITEM: In read
ing over the doings of the people of
Potter County, / find much that is
Of interest to me. 1t speaks Of old
friends, often pointing out the station
they occupy in public affairs. The
boys of sixteen years ago are some
Of them lawyers, some merchants,
ministers, some mechanics and some
teachers. Many have become
wealthy. If any have become poor
since | left | have not found it out
by the JOURNAL, so presume such
cases are not frequent.
In the West speculation is the or
der Of the day, consequently a great
many become suddenly rich and as
many become suddenly poor. The
present stringency in money matters
is testing the solvency of our busi-
ness men quite closely. Money is so
scarce that it is next to impossible
to loan it on the best of security,
say one-third the value on real estate.
Stock can hardly be disposed of for
cash. Wheat is about the only article
that sells readily for cash, that article
is always ready money, the present
price being ) LOO per bushel.
Our summer has been a fine one
for crops, wheat is now headed and
stands very heavy on the ground, a
better prospect than usual for large
yield. The weather has been warm
and wet for some time past and there
are some fears that the grain will get
badly lodged down before harvest.
Corn looks as promising as it has in
any previous year. Potatoes also
look fine where the bugs have been
kept cleaned off. And, by-the-way,
| learn those pests have put in their
appearance in Pennsylvania and New
York. We had or s years, the
start of you on potato bugs here in
the west and our experience proves
that after years fighting the pests
and freezing the earth to the depth
of four feet the last winter, they come
out with redoubled force, worse now
than any previous year. have tried
various methods to save the potatoes
so as to have enough for table use,
some seasons they have cost a dollar
a bushel and poor ones at that, for if
the vines are badly eaten the pota-
toes are not only few but poor.
There have been great many yarns
got up of people being poisoned by
getting the bugs from the potatoes
| have never been poisoned yet, but
| have been some sick by pouring
water on them when it was boiling
hot, and inhaling the steam. have
no doubt but they are poison for ]
could never starve fowls so they
would eat them.
l have tried poisoning the bugs
and it works frstrate, my way Of
preparing it is as follows: one ounce
of paris green and mix with sixty
ounces of -four; mix it we'll together
Make a sieve, Gan oyster can pune
tured with a fine awl does WE'LL sift
it on the vines while wet with dew
selecting such places as are most in.
tested with bugs-in twenty-four
hours the little pests will be dead OIL
dying; an application lasts until
washed off by rain. Another good
way is to take pail with soap suds
enough to cover the bugs, and they
will be dead in five minutes after fall
ing into the pail and thus save all
trouble Of scalding them. | have
said this much that new beginners
may have the advantage of my ex,
perience in the potato bug business,
if you would have potatoes you must
Eight on, fight ever"
Timothy grass and clover is very
heavy, oats have not stood the wet
weather as well as wheat-they show
signs of blight. 1t has been believed