The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-06-30
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Tho POTATO Beetle.

having mad three years practice In
fighting the Colorado potato beetle, says
correspondent Of the Country Gentle
man, offer my experience to my farm
er friends of the East, whose knowledge
Of the pest has not had chance for de-
yelopment. My first experience was
like many others; when the beetle first
made its appearance on nv farm I
thought should have no potatoes for q
time at least. My first attempt to de-
stroy them was by brushing them off the
vines with a light brush and covering
them up with the plow; in this I failed,
as they would get out of the ground and
crawl on the vines before I could get
around. My next attempt was to harrow
the ground level and mash them with a
heavy roller; it was better than the first
plan, but injured the vines by bruising
and mashing them. My next plan was
to use paris green, adulterated with the
cheapest grade of flour, one pound of
green to ten of -four. 1 bought paris
green at forty cents and fifty cents per
pound. AN experience of three years
has proved that paris green that costs
but twenty to twenty-five cents, adulter-
ated with twenty pounds of either dry,
tine, sifted, unleached ashes, or twenty
pounds OF flour, is equally fatal to the
bugs.) L prefer the -four, as it can be
more evenly mixed, since it does not
Ashes are much the cheapest. Once in
every ten days is rs often as 1 have ap-
piled it; the first time, as soon Us the DO
tatoes began to show. My journal shows
that 1T cost me for green and labor of ap-
plying on eight and one-half acres, in
1873, $17.42. 1t cost less in 1874. as the
lady bug destroyed the eggs as they
were deposited. I used flour in the
above estimate that cost Sc. SO per barrel;
VI flour would have answered as we'll.
Twelve pounds of green served eight
and one-half acres of potatoes, which is
about fair average, when bugs are nu-
merous enough to damage the crop,
With proper care not to inhale the
green, there is not a possibility of dan
ger. L have mixed for myself, and sold
to others, over two hundred pounds in
the past three years, with no bad effects
whatever. Some OF my neighbors went
to the expense of having cans made es-
Peclally for the purpose, that were in a
manner useless. I use old two-uuart tin
frult cans, melting off the top and put
ting In q wooden head in which to insert
broom handle. First bore a one and
one-fourth inch hole in the head to put
the mixture in; punch the bottom full of
holes about the size of No. 6 shot. and
your can Is ready for use-at no cost.
comparatively. Walk alongside of the
row and make one shoot at each hill, and
your game Is as good as dead. Apply in
the morning, when the vines are wet. or
Just after slight rain. Three smart
hands will go over six acres while the
dew Is on. Attempts to introduce luo-
g1ng machines with some of nv neipR-
bors met with no success. I prefer paris
green and Hour above all bug destroyers.
as more practical and cheaper, as we'll as
certain and effective. Forewarned is
forearmed.
Chemistry has demonstrated that no
bad effects follow the use of paris green:
therefore farmers need have no fear of
using it. Consumers and SPECTATORS
may, for mercenary motives, attempt to
prejudice farmers against the use of
paris green. Potato bug machine inven-
Tors, agents, and those interested in
their sale, may speak and write glibly
about the danger of paris green: heed
them not, but persevere, and my word,
learned from experience, will prove the
correctness of my Judgment.
Fruit Garden.
Cultivate the soil between the currant
bushes often, unless the ground is
heavily mulched.
Gooseberries are more profitable when
marketed in the green state, and should
be picked as soon as large enough for
use. If mildew appears, use sulphur
freely.
Thinning fruit pays in increasing both
SIZE and quality, and if practiced judi
ciously, will prove profitable. and with
young trees just coming into bearing. is
often absolutely necessary.
The new raspberry and blackberry
canes should be tied up to stakes as
soon as they are long enough, otherwise
high wind or driving storm may break
them OF. Leave only three or four
canes to grow to each stool, and shorten
them when four feet high for rasp-
berries, and five feet for blackberries.
lie up the young grape shoots as fast
as they grow; if allowed to become too
icng, there is great danger of breaking.
soft cotton twine, without starch, is the |
best and cheapest material. Thin ont
the fruit on vines just coming into bear |
ing. Apply top-dressing of ground |
bones or ashes to the soil between the
vines, IT not already done; stimulating
manures must be ayoided.-AgricuL |
ttty'ist.
Tho Glover Crop.
Clover seed will be scarce, SAYS the
Prairie Farmer. If reports are cor
rect there has never been 80 general a
winter-killing, both West and East. 1t
now seems probable that clover seed will
be almost impossible TO obtain as the
produce OF the present crop. It there
fore behooves all those who have living |
clover to cut it early, in order to obtain |