St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-08-10
The Potato Beetle.
from the Burlington Free Press.l

From the Burlington Free Press.]
l desire through your columns to APP
peal to the farmers of Vermont to make
a general and determined effort to ex-
terminate every Colorado potato beetle
and every larva of the beetle upon their
premises. | am led to do so from the
circumstances that there is a prevalent
neglect almost cuipable in this respect.
The feeling that because the pest has
not appeared in forces sufficient to
pretty nearly VIII out this years crop
it may with impunity be permitted free
range, is quite too common. Another
sentiment, and most despicable one,
is gaining currency, and that is that it
would be better for the farmers if half
the crops were to be destroyed by it.
There is unquestiOnably large crop Of
potatoes upon the ground in this state,
and elsewhere: but l cannot believe
the best remedy for over production, if
such is the case, which may be doubted,
is the destruction of the crop or
any part of it with the dreadful GER
tainty of permanently establishing a
foe to the crop which will hereafter to-
tally exterminate it or remain a tax
upon its production equal to all other
cost.
The Illinois correspondent to the
Country Gentleman, one of the closest
observers in this country, and thor
Oughly well informed on the subject of
which he writes, under date of July
10th says: eff the Colorado beetle
does as much damage East as he did
last year, the chances ale there will be
a demand for the western crop equal to
that of last year, when potatoes went
out of Illinois by the thousand car loads,
at fifty to sixty cents per bushel." We
ought to be encouraged by the expert
ence of our western friends and fight
the foe intelligently and effectually as
they do and profit by our proximity to
the best markets. If we cannot COM
pete with them in raising potatoes it is
doubtful if we can in anything. The
difference in cost of transportation, af-
ter all that has been said about discrim-
nation, etc, amounts to a pretty fair
profit on the business of production.
But to return to the Colorado beetle,
and the question What shall we do with
himP | answer, unhesitatingly, fight
him with the very best weapon at COM
mand till we wipe him out entirely,
and in this | am but repeating what
every potato grower from the Rocky
Mountains to the Atlantic, who has
fought and conquered the pest, advises,
All temporary eXpedients and mild
remedies have failed, and but one sure
treatment is known, and that is to feed
him on Paris green. The sensational
letter of Mr. Hayes, State Assayer OF
Massachusetts, has done the farmers a
great injury. Nobody questions but
that Paris green is deadly poison, but
the fact exists that thousands of farm
ers have used it without injury to them
selves or anybody else, except perhaps
some of the insects and birds which
prey upon the beetle, and it is an in
decent reflection upon the intelligence
of New England farmers to tell them
that they cannot handle a poison as
well as people out west, especially when
they have their ten years experience to
profit by. | know of potato fields which
have been extensively hand-picked all
summer in which there are more of the
pests to-day than ever before, and yet
the owners have not yet got up to that
point where they can he induced to APP
ply the only sure remedy. They have
''fussed" with the ''safen remedies till
they are persuaded that they better the
condition of the foe, and have finally
abandoned them to keep on with theiI
hand picking. | saw, to-day, in a ride
of not more than a mile, not less than
five hand picking parties. repeat that
it is the universal testimony of those
who have succeeded that the only reli
able thing to use is Paris green, and
add the caution to buy only of respect
able dealers who sell the true article
The best is the cheapest.
wish every newspaper in the state
and every man in the state could see
the necessity of both prompt council
and concerted action against this great
enemy to our great table esculent.
0. 5. BLISS.
Georgia, July 23, 1877.