The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-11
HOW TO DESTROY THE COLORADO
BEETLE.

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
would recommend to the farmers or this Stntc,
who during the past season have suffered from tho
ravnscs OF tho Colorado beetle TO plough deeply and
cross plough all the land used for the cult walton Of
potatoes before the ground becomes too much frozen
TO do The poughng should be done at low
temperature to the destruction by frost OF tho
grubs that have taken possession OF tho soil, ana
which will In the spring. under favorable clrcum-
stances como forth II now undisturbed renew the
destruction which their predecessors accomplished
during the past season. Having for several years
closely observed, with tho micrQpcope and otherwise,
tho habits OF this insect during one OF which tho
potato crop in this section OF country where re.
side in tho summer was totally destroyedL 1
. have become convinced that unless somc
radical measures arc adopted 10 eradicate this
pest II Will become permanent scoursc Tho great
power Tor evil which II possesses Is duo to It's cnor-
nous capacity Tor propagation. As VIC descend the
scale OF animal life TINS capacity increases aud In the
minute microscopic forms II reaches Incredible pro-
portions The female OF tho Colorado beetle VIII lay
over u hundred cggs at one Sitting. have counted
III IN nest. They have the form aud appearance
under magniner OF hens cggs, with the exception
that they have saffron color. Always deposited
The under side OF the leaf the eggs Matched out
favorable Weather IN ory eight hours, when tho
the grceu corophyl OF the IcaI goreing themselves
by incessant eating until they scarcely maintain
their hold upon the plant Increasing in with
dertu rapidly they drop 10 the earth into which
they burrow, and IN fifteen days emerge there
from with striped wings the fun beotlo form ready
begin tho work OF propagation. II the season Is
favorable two broods arc developed into active force
during the summer ana third brood goes into tho
ground 10 como out u beetle the spring and at.
tack tho enrly sprouts OF tho potato. some idea may
DO formed Of the potentially VI tins little insect when
VIC consider that ono thousand OF them can produce
hundred thousand and those again can produce ten
millions, so that the destruction OF this third brood
tho ground to be resurrccted the early spring
IS matter Of no little Importance. The European
governments have become Justly alarmed nj the APP
poaranre OF this destroyer OF human food tho
Continent and stringent measures have been taken 10
stamp IL out, with what success romans 10 be SEEN
Like many OF the parasitic diseases duo 10 minute
forms OF animal life these destructive insects In
directly the result Of the development civilization
The sparse vegetation OF the Rocky Mountains,
which Is their natural habitat, did not furnish SUN.
Gent pabulum Tor their present enormous increase,
but the progress OF civilization carried 10 them
through tho cultivation OF the soil the food that
natural state would not yield them, and enabled
them well as tho grasshopper develop INTO the
terrible proportions that have borne havoc habi-
tatons OF man. Their only sure destruction lies In
the obstruction OF the germs, and the plan have
gcstcd will, have no doubt, accomplish that end
EGBERr l.. WHILE