Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-08-14
General 9srituIture.
POTATO BUGS.

As these pests have already invaded our
state the following from the Marshalltown
Qowa) Times may be Of interest:
To interview practical man and q
farmer often results in the acquisition of val.
liable information; We found il so on last
Monday morning, for catching that practic.
al farmer, Charley Satia, in town we pounc-
ed on him for knowledge. lie was in town
after Paris green. Mr.. Satia has 81 acres Of
potatoes and the everlasting Colorado pota.
to bug has determined on harvesting them by
the top. The seed and work on this field Of
potatoes standing Mr.. Satia 10 about 5000,
he naturally began to look anxious when the
ten millions Of bushels Of these Colorado
pests made their appearance. As Paris
green, deadly poison, had been pronounced
fatal to these pests he determined on trying
it on an acre, putting it on wet [; it being so
poisonous it must be handled carefully il
the least particle gets into the eye there is
I oublo; the effect of this application was
agical. Mr.. Bug smelt it, ate it, aud
diel. This shortened up the elongated cOuu.
ienance Of our friend aud he went for Paris
green by the quantity, but as the application
in powder or paste was slow and dangerous
he tried the experiment Of dissolving it in
water and applying it with u sprinkler with
nozzle made on purpose so as TO confne
the election to the vines. This plan was
found to work fully as satisfactorily and far
more expeditiously and safely. The bugs
went under, and Mr. Satia is confident he
will manage them completely and save bis
| anI ,-a,,ll III
who read this item and have potatoes would
do well to try Paris green as applied by Mr.
Satia. He says n heaping teaspooniul is
sufficient for two gallons Of water and that
it will require about one pound for an acre !;
1t costs % cents per pound. We consider
this information of the greatest Importance
to farmers and urge them to try the expert
meut or visit Mr.. Satia at work with his hands
sprinkling his 81 acres, tsomething of job
truly aud see how he deals with these pests.
Having profted by this information we quiz.
zed our friend further, because we knew he
never left off investigating when his crops
were threatened, or his stock. We found he
had ine show for strawberries while others
were eaten up by little green worm. How
is this We inquired. By the use Of dry
ashes, he replied. Here was knowledge
which is power and shows most clearly what
an investigating mind will do by the use of
dry ashes freely applied he had saved his
strawberry crop. Not content with the
pumping we had already practiced upon him
and holding on to him by the lapel of his
coat to keep him from running of TO his bugs,
we gave the handle another sweep and ask
ed him about his fowls and the chicken chol-
era which had played havoc in so many hen
neries he said it had visited his poultry
yard and collected its tax of about fifty
fowls before he could drive it away, but that
he beat at last, and here is how he did it.
lie took an ounce of strong spirits of cam
phor and diluted it with four quarts of wa
ter. placing it in some accessible place for
the fowls to drink, and the work was done,
and the fend expelled. Remember this re.
ceipt also, so easy Of application, and give
our friend Satia the credit. The inlorma.
ton contained in this interview with our
friend Satia is worth thousands of dollars to
the farmers and poultry raisers Of this coun.
ty and proves that knowledge is power.