Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-06-06

elShtns ol IN inch IN lehStH' Upon their
sides they have two rows of slight protu
berInces tipped with black, ten in the low
Ell row and nine in the upper; when full
grown there is a faint trace of third row
below the two, and four black dots upon
the back of the neck, or thorax rs it is
more properly called in the insect Its
head is also black, and it has black ing
round its thorax. 1t has six legs, the first
pair coming out of the thorax. and the
others Immediately b hind, Or on the front
part of the abdomen. Its body is cream
color. When full grown they descend to
the ground, where they change into pupa
state near the surface. The perfect beetle
appears in little less than two weeks,
pairs when out one week old, and a
week later commences the deposits of eggs,
a. before described From two to -four
broods may be Matched in n season. The
statements of time are, however liable to
vary, being longer OF shorter according as
the weather is more or less favorable to
their development.
The mature beetle, as its name indicates,
has ten lines Of black lengthwise of its
wing covers, five on each side, the ground
being medium yellow. 1t has several
black spots upon its head and thorax, also
six legs, and pink gauze wings under the
striped wing covers described. 1t passes
the winter in the perfect beetle state, bur-
rowing in the ground beneath the frost
coming out unimpregnated in the spring,
just in season to lay its eggs on the young
potato plant.
The statement is sometimes made that
the mature beetle does not feed, and that
they iniest the potatoes rs soon as they
break through the ground to lay eggs
only, This is untrue. The beetles do feed,
not as ray enouslyas the Larvae, but coming
upon the young plant just as it breaks
ground, it has little to eat to spoil the crop.
and if in abundance it will certainly do so,
rs the crop of larvae from the eggs come
on SO soon that what they leave is at once
appropriated by them. 1t is at this stage
Of the crop that the farmer needs be on
The aIert though more numerous later in
the season, when the tops are mature.
they do very little damage.
Bad as these beetles are, theyaro not as
bad as popular opinion makes them. Their
first onset is the most severe, and farmers
accustomed to give up to imaginary evils
will talk about the determination of the
potato Of that there is no danger from
this cause In Iowa, in 1870, the beetles
were very abundant, so much so that they
sWarmed over barns and outhouSes. and
also entered dwellings, so that you could
hardly sit down or walk without crushing
them; Yet the crop of potatoes was the
largest ever known, and they We're retail
ed in the streets for twenty-five cents per
bushel. This abundant crop was raised
by every one planting in anticipation of
high prices, thus bringing the opposite
F result.
BY some this beetle is considered pois-
onous, but from no just cause, us it can be
: picked from the potatoes day after dav, by
whole families, with no bad results. Large
quantities of them in Il State of putrefc.
ton, like all other animal matter. is disa.
grecabIe, and doubtless unhealthy. anG
they should never be left to pntrcfv, but
be burned or destroyed with DO ling water
, and then buried. AS they are voraciou,
feeders,lhey may be killed with poison like
or Paris green, mixed with -four, and dust
ed on the potato leaves. As these sub
stances are very poisonous if swallowed
or inhaled, great care should be taken il
their use.
As regards their depredations in til,
New England States, of course we hav,
much to fear, and yet we have some thing
in our favor First, its natural enemies
? The lady Bird" which, perhaps, is NOR
4 generally known AS the lady bug, was VERY
| abundant last season, causing the destruc
t ton Of myriads of plant lice, and the,
i need but encouragement to assist III,
, farmer in the destruction of the potat,
$ beetle as they are deadly enemy. Tn,
q eggs of the lady birds are very mucl
like those of the potato beetle in color. blu
= are smaller, and not so many in cluster
= but always laid in close proximity to thos
G of some other insect. As soon rs the,
4 hatch they commence their war of exter
minalion, and, as they are voracious feed
t ers, they follow it up almost increasingly
e This lady bug is about two-thirds the siz,
of the potato beetle when fully grown, o
E a yelloWsh red color, with two or NOR,
/ black markings on each wing cover, being
shorter and more thick-set than the potat,
i. beetle. In fine, they are about the sizt
and shape of half pea. There are sev
eral varieties, but all are the friends of III,
e farmer, and should have special protec
ton. The spined soldier bug and The
5 banded robber bug also prey upon th,
r larv9 Of the potato beetle, as well as a
least six other cannibal foes common tc
New England, although those enumerated
are the most important.
| Secondly, our winters are more severe
than the winters west. Jack Frost creep.
deeper into the ground, and must overtakc
many of The ten liners that supposed
themselves safe from cold, Last veal
brought skirmishing parties into our
midst and in two Years it is probable the
main army will test our potatoes and our
climate, SO let US be ready to give them a
s0arpl if not welcome reception.