Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-03-07
THE Colorado Beetle or Potato Bug.

our staple crops, and has become unver-
sal in use, and is considered necessity for
table use as well as to feed to stock. And
in these days when good table potatoes
are selling from seventy to eighty cents
per buShel, and every year, nearly, for for
ty to fifty cents per bushel they are Il
source of profit to the farmer. Good po-
tatoes are, in fact, n household necessity,
and it is desirable 10 keep this crop as one
Of our standard crops, and not let it run
out or be destroyed, but, as view it now
we have got something to do, although
mty he mistaken and hope that am, but
| am fearful that we have work before us
to protect it from its new Formidable enc
my, the Colorado Beetle" or Potato
Bug, which made its appearance here in
this county in the season Of 1876 in num-
bers sufficient to attract the attention of
the agriculturst and alarm the farmers
somewhat about the future Of this crop.
This enemy Of the potato has fulfilled the
predictions made by Mr.. d. B. Walsh,
State Etomologist, of Illinois, that it would
reach the Atlantic Ocean before 1880. The
suddonness of the appearance of the bee
tie here in the east WAS noteworthy. While
| it is probable that few came in the
year 1873, there were none to attract
the attention of our farmers until last year,
the season of 1876, they came into the
gardens in Montpelier last season quite
plenty and in some of the gardens were
in such numbers as to injure the crop
somewhat. l discovered them in my gar
den about the tenth of July last. l saw
the potato bugs first and soon after saw
eggs and grubs, have here in bottle
some of the genuine bugs They appear
somewhat larger think by being preserv.
ed in spirits. The eggs of the beetle are
deposited in clusters on the undorside of
the leaf of the potato Soon after these
eggs hatch, and become grubs, which are
of u yellow cast, fat, with reddish tinge,
and row Of black dots on the sides of
the body; and to say the least of them,
they are very nasty looking fellows AS
soon as they become grubs they begin to
feed on the vines of the potato, and if
plenty, make very bad work, and if not
checked in their progress will destroy
good crop. 1t is asked by many how they
came here from the west. How was it
ntoduced9 1t is probable that the potato
beetle was brought here by freight trains
from the west rather than it made its way
gradually to the east. At any rate the bee
Tie is here and we have him to look after.
That it will be destructive in its visitations
is most probable, rs it has been west, and
it becomes the duty Of our farmers to get
acquainted with its habits in all four of its
phases of existence, as egg, grub, pup@.
and beetle, or fear they may suffer in Il
few years severely. 1t will take them u
few years here to become plenty enough
to eat up the leaves clean; when Meyd0 that
they ruin the crop. That they are TO in
crease here rs they have west, | am fear
ul. If they do, we have an enemy that is
not TO be despised and it will be best for
our farmers to be on the watch next sea-
sou for II large increase in numbers here.
A summary of their habits-the insect,
having passed the winter in the chrysals
state Il few inches below the surface Of the
ground appears soon after the potatoe is
up and lcafed out Ii appears in the beet
lie state and then lays the eggs, and these
eggs make the grub, the fellow that doe,
the destructive work to the vines. These
grubs grow very rapidly, moult their
skins, become mature then 90 back into
the earth again for the second crop, as we
have two crops of them here in one sea-
son; out west, in some locations, three BY
those well posted it is said it takes about |
u month for II grub to become beetle or
potato bug, and when they become plenty |
enough so as to make eggs and grubs in
large quantities, then it is the grub does
his work Of destruction. When they be-
come plenty enough to attack about every
leaf of the potato they very soon ruin the
crop. The beetle does not eat the leaf as
many suppose. 1t is the grubwhich matches
from the eggs of the beetle that does the
work. The beetle itsclfneed not be confound- |
ed with the common striped squash bug. 10
be sure they look alike, but the potato bug
is larger and is a broad, fat fellow and
looks like an alderman, with its hemis-
phcricHl shape and ten black stripes on its
back. 1t is easy to tell it from the common
striped bug which is so troublesome to
the squash and cucumber vines. Accord
ing to the best information we can get, the
potato bug originated at the foot of the
Rocky Mountains and there is II plant
there which resembles the potato vine
which they feed on in preference 10 the
potato vine where there is enough Of it
for them when there is not they attack the
potato. In Kansas they are so plenty as
to destroy whole fields of potatoes. And
now having learned its habits, what shall
we do to arrest the progress of this new
enemy of the potato? My plan last season
was to 90 through my garden once II week
while they were most plenty and pick off
the leaves that had the eggs or grubs on
and burn them up. AS they were not very
plenty this answered IL very good purpose
Gnd kept them from increasing much for II
second crop. My patch being small two
of us in Il short time could 60 through
the rows one on one side and the other on
the opposite and pick them all off in lit
tie while and | kept my vines pretty clear
from them and don't expect another sea-
son to get much of an increase, but in those
potato patches where they were, and moth
ing done there will probably be II larger :
increase for another season-as they go
into the ground and lay there through the
winter. How shall the farmer deal with
them? First he should rely on the hens
and turkeys and let them run in his pota-
to fields all they will, as they destroy the
bug and grub ut II fast rate then let the
children 80 with you and pick off the
leaves that have the eggs laid on them, for ;
if we attend to it now before they become
plenty we can check them and keep them {
from increasing fast and save our crop. ,
And then, cooperation with your neigh
bors owning adjoining farms 10 have
them do the same will keep them from
increasing as fast as they wonld other |
wise. The artificial remedy is the use of 5
Paris Green, same as you use for green {
paint, Used with caution in The west it
has proved 10 be the most eil'ectual rene i
ly yet found. 1t is mixed with flour, lhir- {
" times the weight of the green, and {
'prinkled on the plants by means of a net t
II flour drodge. The quantity sufficient II
. kill the insects will not injuTe the .
vines 1t does not kill the beetle but kills t
he grab that does the eating. This reme-I
ly must be used with caution and is somo7