Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-07-23
TbcOtrmont Asanit.
BRArTLEBORO:
FRIDAY EVENING, july %, 1915.
The Advent Of the Potato Dug


antly by surprise by the advent Of the COL
orado potato bug. This voracious insect
has occupied Just four summers in his
Journey from Colorado, eastward, and he
has now the air Of one intent strictly on
business, and ready TO proceed TO work as
soon as the potato plants reach stage to
crafty his epicurean taste. The ropula-
ton Of the insect has preceded him, and he
requires no word of introduction. The
record TO which he points with prido-aGter
the manner of the modern politician, is
record Of destructiveness hardly to be COM
pared with anything except the rayages of
the grasshopper; and has proved sufficient
TO win for him the hearty dread of all far
meis, and the formal ban of several Euro
pean governments. His appearance in
New England awak ems considerable alarm,
and measures for his determination are in
order. There seems to be no reason TO be-
lieve that the insects are in sufficient force
TO do much damage this year, but their fe-
cundity is only second TO their vOracity,
and if they are allowed to increase, undis-
turbed, they will assume tho proportions
of an unmltigated pest. In no case is it
more true that an ounce Of prevention is
worth a pound of cure. Unless this Colo
RADIO carpet-bagger is dealt with promptly,
as soon as he puts in an appearance, he is
sure 10 settle down as citizen Of the soil,
and in the progress OF time il will become
di fficult, if not impossible, TO eXtirpato
him.
Various mechanical eXpedients have been
adopted for destroying the pest. One of
the simplest, reported as successful by an
Ontario farmer, is for two persons TO draw
a long rope across the tops Of the plants in
lie middle of the day, when the sun is hot,
knocking the slugs in between the rows,
so that they get killed with the sun before
they can get back TO the potato. Most far
mers who have had any experience with
the bug will be inclined TO doubt, we think,
whether he is so susceptible TO the solar in
huence as this expedient would indicate.
An other plan, reported by Hartford pa
per as having been tried on farm in
that city where the bug had appeared in
large numbers, is an improvement on this.
The farmer went through the rows with a
whiflle-tree that would hit the potato vines
on each side, and TO make il more effective,
Il small bunch of birch brush was fastened
to the ends. Having thus swept off the
bugs by thousands, on reaching the end of
n row he turned the team, burying the
bugs hopelessy. The destroyers have not
reappeared, and the potato field is seeming
ly saved. Machines have been construct
ed for gathering the bugs Off the vines into
a box, from which they are aflerward tax
well, and to take two rows at once. A va
riety of poisons and chemical applications
have been tried, some of which work only
too well, as they kill both plant and bug.
Powdered helebore, the extract of man
drake, and carbolate of lime are among the
articles that have been used. Paris green
is the remedy most in use among Western
farmers, but it is a violent and powerful
poison, and if used " all, must be applied
with extreme caution. There is danger of
inhaling the dust arising from ii as used,
and also of absorbing it through the pores
of the skin, especially when in a state of
perspiration; and it has even been ques-
toned whether, if used too profusely, it
does not poison the soil 50 as to affect the
plants raised in it. The following cautions
and directions concerning lis use we find
in an exchanges:
1.-THE hands and face, particularly the
nostrisl, should be protected as much as
possible, and should be carefully washed
after working in it,, or in any OF the prep
arations Of which it is an ingredient. As
il peuetrates and poisons wood, gets into
the seams and crevices of articles made of
metal, and even into earthcnware that is at
all porous, all household utensils, or any
thing in barn or stable, (Which horses or
cattle could have access toy in which the ar
ticle may have been mixed, or from which
it has been used, should be caleiullV set
aside and never again used for any other
purpose. Malignant sores are not unfre-
quently caused by scratching the skin when
Itching or irritated from handling the
green. 1t should be constantly borne in
mind that it is more dangerous and dead
ly poison than arsenic; and farmers when
purchasing should be duly cautioned to ex-
ercise the utmost care in using it. II it
should be found necessary TO use green,
mix it with flour, one pound of the green
TO thirty pounds of flour, and sprinkle the
mixture on the vines"
Since the above was in type President
Chadbourne of Williams College has pub
lshed in the Springfield Republican the
following article describing his experience
in dealing with these pests, and making
some suggestions which are worthy the
careful attention of the fairness of New
England:
TO Tie Editor of Tie Republican:
An experience of three years dealing
with this pest on the farm Of the Universi-
ty Of Wisconsin may enable me to make
some suggestions of value to our farmers,
who are now threatened with this scourge
of the potato field. 1t would DO impossi-
bic, in one article, 10 mention all the curl
Gus things willingly and unwillingly dis
covered concerning this disgusting devour-
er. One example of lis work will suffice.
Several acres OF potatoes near my residence
had been kept clear of the "bugs'' by hand
picking till July, when l left for the East,
and the farmer left the potatoes to their
fate, surprising all danger past. Some of
the Larvae that had been overlooked passed
through their transformation on the upper
side OF the piece, where the land was high
and dry, radiating from the dry knobs as
centres. When l returned, after four
weeks, the upper half of the piece was de-
stroyed, and the bugs were moving like an
army toward the damp ground, leaving
nothing but the woody fibre of the pota.o
stalks behind them. Paris-green left bush
els of them on the ground, but still the
host increased, and they disappeared only
when every veslige OF green on the potato
vines was gone.
When driven TO eXtremites, the beetles
will attack tomatoes, and, by some strange
power, they discover the relationship of
bell-peppers TO the potato, and take them
for change of diet. As Il last resort, late in
the fall, they will feed on pasture thistles,
apparently taking them as lunch, before
going into winter quarters. The only safe
guard against them is constant vigilance.
Strange as it may seem to those who have
only read of their dCvastallons, "hand.
Ptcktng,' proved to he the best remedy we
could find l can only 1iyp Tho raSilts