Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-07-07
The Potato Beetle.

The potato beetle, say s Mr.. Fuller,
agrc lltural editor of the Sua, is in
digenous to the plains in Western Col |
orado and Kansas. 1t feeds on q wild
species of the solanum plant, allied to
the potato, but Of coarser and more
thirsty character. This food plant be
ing scarce, the number of beetles was
small but the first settlers, WHO plan
ted Potatoes near them, completed the
last link of the chain which connected
them with the whole of the States.
The potato top was delicasy, and i'll
sixteen years they have spread over
the country, travelling, not like the To-
Gust, which migrates in swarmS, but
creeping and flying individually. At
first it Travelled sixty miles a year, but
when it reached railroads in Ohio and
Pennsylvania it advanced 800 miles
year.
The beetles habits have been cl)s-
ly observed, continued Mr.. Fuller.
Tie mature insects or beetles bury
themselves in winter several feet I'M
der ground. or crawl into such places
as old litter or into fence corners, and
do not awake until late in the spring.
In the first warm days they crawl out,
the sexes meet, and the females lay
eggs on the first tender potato shoots.
One beetle lays from 600 to l, 200. and
every one matches out a week after
ward. Minute yellow grub OF larva
is the result; and now begins the work
of obstruction. The grubs feed con-
stantly ON the leaves, boariag them
through and Though, and grow from
one-half to thrce-eights Of an Inch in
length.
This is the stage and the only
stage, in which they can be poisoned.
OF the hundreds of poisons that have
been tried no:e are equal to Paris
green. 1t must be mixed with com
mon, cheap flour, at the rate of {
pound of the poison to fifteen pounds
of the flour. 1t is best applied sitting
lightly on vhe potato leaves. Extreme
caution should be taken against inhal
ing the light dust, as it is extremcl,
poisonus. In sitting, take Il two quar-
pail, punch the bottom full Of very finC
holes, nail the side to long handle
keep the cover of the pail on, ant
, staid with the back to the wind Som
=, agricnlturists put a tablespoonful o
= Paris green into pailful of water, AM
= pour little of the mixture upon tn
plants but water is after while, foun
o to he pretty heavy to carry. Besides
Il the poison is not dissolved it is he'll
in suspension only, AMI hence 1t mus
be constantly stirred up, or the remed
" will sink to the bottom of the pal
II The poison does not affect the potat
J. leaves it is eaten with the leaf by til
Il grub, and it kills the pest, just as
!, destroys any animal organism. 1t
asserted by some authorities that til
y arsenic in Paris green can poison til
It soil. 1t cannot; because, as scienc
shows, .hydratc oxide of iron, which
in all soil, completely neutralizes I'll
i arsenic, and makes it as harmless &
o so much sand. The insolubility {
,e Paris green, moreover, prevents It's b.
=, ing absorbed into vegetation.
1t is a monstrous mistake to SUI
u pose that if you cease to cultivate pr
tatoes the beetles will die out for I'll
want of food. If we had no potatot
ld The PESTS would take to tomato top
Us egg plants, and many other delicace
n and even 10 the smart weed that grow
70 by the roadside. They must |
: fought by the means above describes
II and fought persistcntly by every ma
er who has them OH his vines. Shoul
one potato grower neglect to do tn
his held would become q nursery TIL
he would breed enough beetles to ovcrru
= his neighbors' fields for miles aroun
:" In our latitude two generations ,
IS grubs are born; further north on
Of one, and further south three. III
ID grub arriving at full size, about ha
~ an inch in length, becomes t0rpi'
swells, and after time sloughs h
~ skin and comes out beetle to lay ne
IS eggs. This second generation, fine
ing that the vines have been Stripe
by their ancestors, travel. Last yet
10 said Mr.. Fuller, the roads were ali,
!, with them here. So many wei
" crushed by wheels that an intolerab
$ stencil perpetnally arose from the
= decaying bodies. We fought Il.