The Republican journal., 1877-11-22
How TO Destroy the Colorado Beetle

From the New York Herald
would recommend to the farmers OF
THIS State, who during the past season
nave suffered from the rayages of the
Colorado beetle, to plough deeply and
cross plough all the land used for the
cultivation OF potatoes before the ground
becomes too much frozen to do so. The
ploughing should be done at a low tenn
perature to insure the destruction bv frost
OF the grubs that have taken possession
OF the soil, and which will in the spring.
under favorable circumstances come forth
II now undisturbed to renew the de5truc-
tlon which their predecessors ACCOMPLISH
ed during the past season. Having for
several years closely observed. with the
microscope and otherwise. the habits of
thus insect During one Of which the DO
tato crop IN this section Of the country
where reside in the summer was totally
deStroyed), | have become convinced that
unless some radical measures are adopted
to eradicate this pest it will become a
permanent sconrge The great power for
evil which it possesses is due to its enor-
nous capacity for propagation. AS we
descended the scale OF animal life this
capacity increases, and in the minute
microscopic forms it reaches incredible
proportions. The female of the Colorado
beetle will lay over hundred eggs at
one sitting. have counted l2l in one
nest. They have the form and appear
ance under a magntier Of hens eggs, with
the exception that they have saffron
color Always deposited on the under
side OF the leaf the eggs are hatched out
IN favorable weather III forty eight h0uls,
when the VOraciOuo little creatures begin
Their attack at once upon the green Clo-
rophyl Of the leaf, gorging themselves bv
lncessant eating until they can scarcely
maintain their hold upon the plant. IN
creasing in size with wonderful rapllity
they soon drop To the earth, into which
they buIIOW. and in ten or fifteen davs
emerge theretIom with striped wings in
the tull beetle form ready to begin the
work OF propagation. If the season is
favorable two broods are developed into
active force during the summer, and
third brood goes into the ground to come
ont as a beetle in the spring and attack
the early sprouts OF the potato. Some
idea may be formed of the potentiality
of this little insect when we consider
that one thousand of them can produce a
hundred thousand and those again can
produce ten million, 50 that the dcstruc-
ton Of this third brood now in the ground
to be resurrected in the early spring is
Il matter OF no little Importance. The
European governments have become lust
~ alarmed At the appearance of this de
Str0yer OF human food on the Continent
and stringent measures have been taken
to stamp It out. with what success re-
mains to be seen. Like many OF the para
site diseases due to minute forms of ami
NAL lite these destructive insects are in
directly the result of the development of
civilization. The sparse vegetation Of the
Rocky Mountains, which is their natural
habitat. did not furnish sufficient pabulum
Tor their present enormous increase, but
the progress of civilization carried to
them through the cultivation of the soil
the food that in its natural state it would
not Yield them, and has enabled them as
well as the grasshopper t. develop into
the terrible proportions that have borne
havoc to the habitations Of man. Their
only sure destruction lies in the destruc-
tl"D of the germs and the plan have
viii. | have no doubt, accom-
plisil that end