Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-06-24

EocKRsEiN, Jane z2, 1874.
FE1E:p joDNsoN Think ng that your read-
e-s night feel an lLteGes: N knowiug something
asoEt the history and n.biis OF the Colorado P,.-
.A.o Be.iie, ! send yoa this communication on
lie s2tJt-'. In tie lrs. place, 1t is not what
L&i1ra!!s.s call bag, Ia. lrue beetle, belonging
to the oTcer Co!eoi.efa, or shelly wings. lt's
p-o.er name IS Yorl ptOrc o .'neGtc Of Sau or
IN tng!-sh, IKE Ten-S:nped Spearmann Jnst
mere Iet NE say that ;teFe ls small beetle having
three st-lf7s On is Wigs ecueutly in company
win 'Le "spea uan, "rd 5 by some mistaken
'or lie Co!crado c1g IL some oi its stages of de-
ve.cfmelt- 4tIs is different insect altogether.
y Is called lie "-tfee.lreG Leaf B-etle,n (Senrn
y."EeGtE) !: reteub.ss 70 tie COMMON cucumber
oee.le very ccse!y, tE; Nay te dist.nguished fren
ttat nseti by The renaiEstie pinehinr in OF The
secs OF the iLoa= % as 20 make qlile lacy
IKE w.: ;Lere cE WIG: -.ll.s:s call o cor.
stf!ctior. lte !lrva o. t.-s insect may be found
FEEDING on the under side o. Il otato leaf and
may be known by the habit j. his of covering it.
sell WIN i;s own excTemerts This insec. 10
com paratvely harm ess aud farmers need not
vase mGch l!me IN des;roy.u. : while they have
the more destructive spearmau - fight. 1t has
been the custom o. no3io1s insects in the United
states 10 travel from the east toward the west
TINS Is NE nre: record We have Of noI ious insect
! travelling from h" wes. towards the east. In
ISL! they were - numerous n Kansas that they
would almost eu'es TIE 1ole potato vine, eatin..
up everything green apon II. In 1864 it hat
cTos> s>cd tae NJ ssssipp' u:o Illinois, and in let
ter i-om BEN j-aln D. HaIsc, OF that date, hs
predicted that 1t wouid be- in the Atlantic States
IN atout ii Years Il establishes 4 permanent
colony wherever 1t goes, tnt pushes on the main
column eastward a. The rate ui about 90 miles q
year. Bu: where does IL come from and why
were the farmers not troubled with il prior to
| lSl. Unlike many Ctuer noxlous insects il is
not general ieeGer, but e .onfred 70 plants of
the botanical family, $, .cEccCe, and especially
| 20 the g-Lps So.d1as., which includes tie pota-
| &c, he tomato, tie ecg-plar: and "a weed called
| the borse-re.te. Assuming ,ha. this wild Scsdn-
"n IS tie natural food Of This .ns. q, and the
! gon torcerng oa the Rocky MoGrlalps its uatG-
! raj tome, It's range .or y eng series OF years
would Be l.I-!:ed ty IL" range CT plants 1t feeds
! upon. u 'te coG:s. -! :iue, uaud in hand with
c.Vl.z.ron, ;le poia:o na:-Aec p 20 the Rocky
mountains, TIE home u his ,H.s,t. 1t eucn dis
covered ;hat tie J;atD leaves were quite As pal
atao.e as lIe plants thai Lad been ieedlpy upon
! for 30 ion-- u lime, AID ~CulG seek new pas:i'ues
by reaiinI eastward from potato patch 70 po,a-
70 patch snta !: ce1ctcd iGe Atlantlo IL is SAD
'aa. tnia insect prefers tie e2GpEn: 10 The pota-
70 and ! ls Wei known ma: it lreisrs the po:a.o
. he tomato, Wide :As prac1 ticw is The lnos.
| EXEMPT lrCm IL r4Tlres. rom tht re- Cru OF DR..
Henry Skinner, of l'!lno.s, carsfu and sk..liui
| Entomolo"st who eerIg.tst a s.ti.s Il irTe:tl.
cations The natu-e aad EIoi.s o: tsi4 insect I
! note rs !oiuwlng !gci- about tie G-t ul May o.
TIE hrst ot June "fhc Speafn2n e,Uerges ,scn
ih2 Src1Ed w..efr : :lls r-eu ALTERNATING during
the SDtcr and lays ine fret breua Of cs!s If III.
sesso.. TIE female lays from 20 10 SEQ .s-.-s
{
days. ~ tie suG II seTcatCen lays from the
na,cl.,as 81 tae Egg ,.la ;4h srowa l.rva ceases
eA.ine, having lacrtsstl .ls 20 l.iie two hgndred
:l;r.s - Leli.y we've zines - original weight
daily eaG . 20 sjiI t.6; d: Will sink in water.
F5cl ties" cafes :. Is %. LlI1.uIt o estimate ITS
| t.tug capae.'y, i ..er : days : disappears be-
meath .he g-o-nl and Ia icol 3 % days it casts
is last puQa skin IL 20 more tays or l3 days in
all ai;cT Il E&s ctasei eG:.ag /: emefSee from the
ground as he image CT periec; :nsel:, teing Just
one ueLta !!em lie ;!me c. bal,Ling from the
egg. l. Is row tie perfect 40-strip ped beetle.
THIS IN % days from tie laying 0! the egg the
per;ec; insect appears. IN about days the Image
begin 70 pair and a. Ltout he 18th day, an
average, begins to lay is eggs. Thss n 80 days
rom the layirg Of tie egg The offspring begins
20 propagate so tha. the first OF the spring brood
becomes fertile abu. the 10Th of Jaly, the second
generation about the lst Of September, and The
third aud many Of the las. developed of the seq
ond passes the winter n the pupa state N the
ground and IN the following spring appears n
the perfect state from the middle OF May 10 tie
early part of June and in few days begin 10
lay their eggs and continue for 10 days or more or
until the first brood begins 70 propagate, SO ;ha.
We have AL sizes daring the summer.
How shall we meet and successfully comba.
this new enemy? From what We know OF them
We anticipate that the whole potato growing por-
tion OF the union will be overran and filed with
them. Regarding the natural means for their
destruction, with ogr present knowledge, the
prospect is not very encouraging. Their sabjec
ton, though not impossible, appears very improb-
able Sprinklng over the larva Paris green,
snuff, tine air-slacked lime, powdered Helbore
have proved efectual in this section in killing
and driving away many OF them. Bu. nothing
short OF actual killing will stop their rayages, l
have succeeded in destroying great quantities by
taking board about Is inches square and in
serting handle near one edge to carry It by
then placing the board On the ground near the
potato stem, bending the plant over on the board
and crushing the larva with my foot. In favor Of
this plan for destroying them can say that it IS
inexpensive, q1te speedy, aud very efectua!.
For Notwithstanding the marvellous stories told
of their endurance while undergoing the ordeal
of fire and water, the pressure OF heavy boo.
will efectually prevent them from doing further
harm propose to fight 1t olt with them on this
line ii it tlkes ne all summer to do It. That we
shall always have this Colorado Potato Bug with
us since It has become domiciled here have
, doubt bat we should wager relentless war against
il, and will have to possess our souls with pa
tience until the parasite that controlled and KEEP.
1t within bounds III its native home arises among
us. Whenever any animal has resisted for long
time there the balance OF life has been gradually
adjusted until by natural causes that animal is
controlled and kept within reasonable bounds.
| When this same animal sud ienly misra.es into
3new country 1t is generally unacconpanied by
the species that had pressed uncn 1t N its native
home, and viii often run riot ast sweep the
whole country before it aR. It's parasite increases
IN sufficient numbers TO keep i. in cheek.
! We have but to recur TO the well known history
of the Uessan Fly, the NHea: Nidge, and ths
imported apple tree bark locse 20 see how these
principles have operated in the United States.
While l am an optonist in belief, n studying
the history OF this insect ! am forced 20 adm.
that ''eternal vigilance will be the pr.ce Of poia-
toes in this section ior yeazs 20 come
Yours truly, I. =. J. B4LDwIN.