Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-04-30
NO. 1O6.
miscellaneous.
THE POTATO CROP.

Some disnclination to plant potatoes
this wear is expressed by farmers. as the
Colorado beetle has become such a nui-
sance, and especially a. the crop last year
was so light. The potato is too valuable
an esculent to be given up for a transient
cause, as we have every reason to believe
the blight of last summer was. There
may not he a similar one again for score
OF years. and if there should be another
this summer. and it should come as late as
the one last summer, its effects may be
avoided by planting early varieties just
as soon as the ground is dry enough to be
ploughed. Those who planted early last
year generally secured a good crop, as the
blight did not appear till late in July.
The Rose. the Early Vermont, and other
early varieties will be mstured by the mid
die of July, if planted early on dry and
rich land. and none other should be Sc
cured for the potato crop.
As an additional reason tor planting
early it should be said that the bug (decem
hncdta) does little damage in the fore part
of the season. The mission of the first
crop of bugs-the perfect insects that have
been winered in the soil-seeems to be
to propagate the species. Comparatively
few insects in the butterfly, or perfect
state are voracious eaters. They appear
to be on a honeymoon. rather than for
aging expedition and to be providing tor
posteritv rather than for them
selves. Even the grasshoppers, that are
apparently an exception to this rule, do
little damage individually. 1t is only
when they come in overwhelming num-
bers that they devour everything before
them. The first crop of potato beetles is
usually small, only the fittest survive the
accidents of our long winters; but the
few that do survive seem eminently tit for
propa eating, and their little yellow eggs
NAV be seen in clusters of twenty to forty
under many a potato leaf. If the eggs
are allowed to hatch, the grubs have
nothing to do but eat and grow, and grow.
and this mission they persist in with all
the zeal of Il modern pedestrian, stopping
neither by day nor by night. As the eggs
are seldom deposited in this latitude (42)
before the first of June, and as the period
of incubation is three weeks, the larve
seldom do much damage before the 10th
of July, when early and early-planted po-
tatoes are so near maturity as to be little
injured.
II the first crop of beetles, those that
come out of the ground in May, and lie
around loose waiting for the potatoes to
put in an appearance. are so abundant as
to threaten damage. they had better be
handpicked or doscd with little Paris
green. rs each lady beetle deposits about
a thousand eggs, so that one female
squelched early in the season is equivalent
to the destruction of hundreds in July.
The females continue the deposition of
eggs about 10 days, laying a few 6 to 100
the first day and increasing the daily de-
post till it reaches nearly a hundred,
when the number gradually diminishes.
Consequently after the egg Matching sea-
son commences we find eggs, grubs and
beetles mixed up very promiscuously.
Some of the grubs develop into beetles
much more rapidly than others. so that the
time from the deposition of the egg to the
production of the beetle, or perfect insect.
varies from thirty to forty days. The fe
male begins to lay eggs about a fortnight
after she issues from the ground fitted for
the conjugal relation, and thus in about
fifty days after the first egg is deposited,
comes Il clutch of eggs of the second gem
eration. Should the first eggs be deposi-
ted rs early as the latter part of May. the
early planted crop of potatoes would es-
cape the ravages of the host of bugs that
this second generation will produce. We're
satisfied from our three years experience
with the Colorado beetle that we have not
much to fear from him. If we only plant
the right varieties at the right time
Every precaution should however be taken
to prevent the increase of this pest and the
most etfectual method we have suggested,
is to dose the first comerS with Paris green.
The hoer as he goes forth to hoe should
also keep one eye out for eggs, and a
keen observer will soon see the 'clutcheG," ,"
rs the lrshman calls them. and can crush
them with his thumb and finger. If left
to hatch out, even if they may do the pc
tatoes little damage, they will fasten upon
the egg plants and tomatoes, and multiply
in compound rates for our annoyance an
other year.
Probably no hoed crop pays the New
England farmer so well as potatoes, and
he should not be discouraged in their cul-
tivation by such an insignificant thing as
the beetle. or SO uncertain n thing as the
blight. Each year will add to our knowl-
edge of the habits of the beetle, and ,na-
Bile US to head him off. or dodge him.
The prairie farmer.has already learned not
to fear this insect. We hope to see a lar
ger area planted with potatoes this year
than ever before. and we are confident
that the enterprising potato-grower has
the chances in favor of his reaping large
ward.-NasS. W0Hghmda.