Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-08-11
The Potato Beetle.

desire through your columns 10 APP
peal TO the farmers of Vermont, to make
a general and determined effort 10 exter-
inmate every Colorado potato beetle and
every larva OF the beetle upon their
premises. l am LODI to do so from the
circum stances that there is q prevalent
negligence almost culpable In this re-
spect. The feeling that because tho pest
has not appeared In force sufficient to
pretty nearly wipe out this years crop
II may with impunity DO permitted FREQ
range, Is quite too common. Another
sentiment, and q most despicable one.
Is gaining currency, and that Is that 1t
would DO better for the farmers IL half
the crop were TO be destroyed by 1t.
There Is unquestionably q large crop of
potatoes upon the ground In this State.
and elsewhere but cannot believe the
best remedy for over production, II such
Is the case, which may be doubted, is
the destruction of the crop or any part
of II with the dreadful certainty of per-
mancntly establishing foe to the crop
which will hereafter totally exterminate
1t or remain a tax upon its production
equal to all the other cost.
The Illinois correspondent OF the
Country Gentleman, one OF the closest
observers in this country. and thorough
ly well informed on tho subjects of
which he writes, under date of July 10th
says: "lf the Colorado beetle docs as
much damage East rs he did last year,
the chances are that there will be . de-
mand for the Western crop equal to that
OF last year, when potatoes went out OF
Illinois by the thousand car loads, Mt fif-
ty to sixty cents per bushel." We ought
to be encouraged by the experience of
our Western friends and fight the foe as
intellisently and effectively as they do
and profit by our proximity to the best
markets. Ii we cannot compete with
them in raising potatoes 1t is doubtful IL
we can in anything. The difference in
cost Of transportation, after all has been
said about discrimination, etc., amounts
to pretty fair profit on the business OF
production.
But to return to the Colorado beetle,
and the question, What shall we do with
himP ! answer, unhesitatingly, fight
him with the very best weapon Mt COM
mand till we wipe him out entirely, and
in this am but repeating what every
potato grower from the Rocky Noun
tains to the Atlantic, who has fought and
conquered the pest, advises. All tenn
porary expedients and mild remedies
have failed. and but one sure treatment
is known, and that is to feed on Paris
green. The sensational letter of Mr.,
Hayes, State Assayer of Massachuse is,
has done the farmers q great injury.
Nobody questions but that .'aris green is
deadly poison, but the tact exists that
thousands of farmers have used it with.
out injury to themselves or anybody
else, except perhaps some of the insects
and birds which prey upon the beetle.
and it is an indecent reflection upon the
intelligence of New England farmers to
tell them that they cannot handle pois-
on as we'll as the people out West, espe-
cially when they have their ton years
experience to profit by. I know of po-
tato fields which have been extensively
hand-picked all summer in which there
are more of the pests to-day than ever
before, and yet the owners have not got
up to that point where they can be in
duced to apply the only sure remedy.
They have "fhssed" with some of the
safe" remedies till they are persuaded
that they improve the condition Of the
foe, and have finally abandoned them to
keep on with their hand picking. l saw,
to-day, in ride of not more than mile,
not less than five hand picking parties.
repeat that it is the universal testimo-
ny of those who have succeeded that the
only reliable thing to use Is Paris green,
md add the caution to buy only of re-
spectacle dealers who sell the true arti-
lie. The best is the cheapest.
wish every newspaper in the State
md every man in the State could see the
necessity of both prompt council and
action against this great ene-
ny to our table esoulent. 0. S. BLISS.
Georgia, July 20, 1877.