The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-07-08

The potato bug having settled
down to hard work in this region a
history Of the monster viii be read
with interest
Originally the home Of this insect
was exclusively in the Rocky Noun
tains, where it fed on a species of wild
potato (Solanum ~rostratum, Dunal) J,
a plant only found in that region
With the cultivation of the potato in
western Kansas and Colorado it for
sock its native food plant (Which is
hispid and somewhat like our horse
nettle) and adopted the potato. They
also feed upon the tomato and egg
plant, which belongs to the same
family (Solancea) as the potato
They prefer the egg plant to the po-
Uato, and the latter to the tomato.
Since 1859 this insect has travelled
east from potato patch TO potato patch,
at the rate Of sixty or seventy miles
a year. The scientific name Of this
beetle is "Dorvpbora ten ~linesta, say
and il should not be COMPOUNDED with
another, very similar in appearance,
called by scientists "Doryphora june
tn, Germur." The latter feed cx-
clusively upon the horse nettlc $50
ianum Carolinense Linn,) and never
touch the potato. There are three
broOds, some say five Of the Colorado
potato beetle in a season, but as the
females continue laying their oya
forty days or more, we have the
worms Of all sizes during the sum-
mer. The first brood was Matched
here about the 7tb June, from eggs
laid by beetles that passed the winter
in the pupa state in the ground.
The different summer broods require
about thirty-six days to obtain per-
lection from the egg. The larva Of
the last brood remain in the ground
all winter and emerge as perfect bee
ties in the spring to renew their dep
relations.
Each female deposits 700 or SOC
eggs in groups Of twenty-five or thir-
ty on the under side of the leaves;
they are Of alight yellow color, ting
ed with venetian red, and have two
rows Of black spots on the sides; the
head and feet are black. The larva
usually remain on the under side Of
the leaves during the day, but ] have
noticed them congregating in the
crown of the plant, among the young
and tender leaves They chiefly in
jure the potato plant in their larva
and beetle.
In some parts Of the west their raw
ages threatened to exterminate the
potato, and it was only by continued
and daily vigilance that a crop could
be raised. All applications TO the
potato vines have failed to protect.
them from the larva, except dusting /.
them with paris green, mixed with f,
dour or other light powder, and APP !
plying it after a rain or before the ,
dew is of in the morning. As paris f;
green is an -arscniate of copper and 4.
very poisonous, il should be handled :
with great care, as persons have died :
from inhaling the dust when apply :
ing it as a remedy for the potato bee :
tie. 1t is best applied by means Of a :
hair sieve attached to a long handle. 7
operator standing to windward, :
and protecting the mouth and nose ?
by a wetted sponge to avoid inhaling '
dust; cuts and sores on the hands .
should also be protected. Hand !,
in the stages of egg, larva /
and beetle is a tedious but certain =
remedy, especially if the resulting /.
collection are subjected to boiling 2
Winter ploughing of the old I
patch might do some good by disturb !
ng the fall brood. Poultry. it is |
aid, viii not eat the beetles, but J
'ome farmers have been benefited bv :
locks Of young turkeys into !
he potato patch. :
They nave numerous enemies y
imong insects, but 50 far as they are I
90 prolific 10 be sensibly diminished 7
" these aids. y