Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-05
Paris Green.

ht ldIe mectlnR VI tne sciontlHO hehOcib-
tion at Philadelphia, the subject of the use
Of mineral polsons by farmers was deemed
of sufficient Importance to demand the atten.
tion Of the best scientists of this country. A
paper was read on the subject by j. l.. Lee
Conte, NJ. d., and general discussion fol.
lowed, an abstract Of which we give below,
as reported by the Tribune. Mr.. LeConte
said: at is the practice Of the academy,
uBder the charter granted by Congress- to
investigate scientific subjects referred to it
by any department Of the government. 1t
is also the duty of the members of the acad.
emy to give to their fellow citizens such
salutary warnings as seem to be necessary to
protect them against injurious practices in.
troduced under the garb of science With
this idea l call attention to the extensive
use Of Paris or Schwenfurth green for de-
stroying insects injurious to agriculture.
Paris green is mixture of arsensic and ace.
tate Of copper, and in the result of certain
empirical experiments has been recommend
ed as destructive to the Colorado potato bee.
tie, and, in fact, as a universal remedy
against injurious insects which appear iu
masses. Now arsenic aud copper are poi
sons which act with equal energy upon plauts
and animals. The material, though diffused
upon the leaves Of the plants to be protect.
ed, which are incapable Of absorbing it, is
speedily carried into the soil, and if used an.
nually it is merely a matter of time how
many years will elapse before the soil is poi
soued so as to prevent the growth of all vege-
tatiou. The chemical possibilities which
may result in the poisoning of the vegeta-
ton raised from the soil will leave to be
developed by my colleagues. solemnly
protest against the loose manner in which,
on the recommendation of persons who have
observed only the effects of these poisous up
on the insect pests to which their attention
has been directed, most dangerous mater
ial has been placed in the hands of large
mass of uneducated men. The manufacture
of this poison has increased to fearful ex.
tent. A friend residing in one of the great
agricultural ceuters Of the West writes that
the druggists of his town order it by the
ton. The ravages Of the Colorado potato
beetle, which has been the chief cause Of the
use Of Paris green in agriculture, commenced
in the West many years ago, and its exten-
sion at regular rate was. predicted by
entomoogists. The prediction has been veri-
fed almost to a year. Now it was within
the power Of the government, through a
properly organized scientific bureau for the
protection of agriculture, to have the sub.
ject investigated by commission and rec.
ommend proper measures to be adopted.
The use Of metallic poisons would not be one
of them, but human labor, properly COM
pensated and intelligently employed, might
have been one of the agents employed to
avert national calamity such as has come
upon u.s."
An interesting discussion followed the
reading of this paper. All the members
who took part in it approved DR.. LeConte's
views as to the danger of using Paris green.
Prof Siliman had heard of several instances
of loss OF human life from carelessness in its
use for killing cockroaches. Prof. Alexander
said that there were well established cases
where its employment as n coloring matter
for wall paper had resulted in poisoning per-
sons, who were affected after only half an
hour spent in the rooms hung with such pa
per. Dr. Mitchell referred to a number OF
cases of poisoning by this substance. 1t
might be that the soil in which it was
strewn impaired poisoning influence to
plants before refusing to yield its product,
aud that the plants so affected acted injur-
iously upon the human system. DR.. lie.
Conte sharply criticised the agricultural bu-
reau at Washington for failing to investigate
this subject. The use of strychnine in corn
fields to kill crows was referred to by auoth-
er member who thought that this most indie
structible of poisOns might affect the vegeta-
tion. Prof. Siliman cited case in Massa-
chusetts where the fumes from a copper
works injured the surrounding forests aud
grass lands.