Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-03-14

NOW ~ ilbhl lhf folAlO-bl u.
The report of the Massachusetts board
OF agriculture contains valuable paper
by DIR. Jabez Fishers of Fitchburg, on
The War With Insects" On the best
method OF fighting the potato-bug. the
writer says:
1t is an insect that has brood after brood
in the same season. As soon as the
Young have time to hatch. you will find
them at all times and stages of develop
ment during the whole season. There is,
in my view. but one remedy. and that is
what some OF YOU are afraid of; but YOU
will have to come to it-Paris green. |
have tried two or three modes of apply
ing Paris green, and settled upon one
! think the best way is 10 use hundred
pounds OF plaster Qhe finer ground the
better) to one pound of Paris green. One
pound is ample for 100 pounds of
plaster. | am not sure but that proper
tion of green is too much. Most of you
have applied it very much stronger
The great point is to get single particle
OF Paris green upon the potato leaf. Now,
Paris green IS an'impalpable powder; it is
exceedingly fine. |. is necessary to ap-
ply but single atom of it in one spot;
but you want TO apply it evenly over the
whole foliage of the potato; and TO do it.
the hes: dilutent, the best thing to dilute it
with, is plaster. apply it by means OF
dredging-box, after the form OF the ordi-
nary flour dredging box used in the
kitchen. ] have one that holds about 4
quart, with cover pierced with holes.
which Is on the end OF a handle about
three feet long. All that is necessary,
when it is filled. is to give slight turn
to the handle and you can apply it to
the potatoes as last As you can walk beside
4 row. 1t is not necessary to cover the
whole potato-leaf with the green; but
IT is better TO put it on pretty thoroughly.
You will find the green colors the
plaster even in this proporlon,-one
part to I hundred 1t colors it quite dis
tinctly, and you can see it on the potato
vine very readily. You do not want to
put much on; il Is Il waste of the poison
and waste of time to do SO. All you
want Is the slightest possible busting;
nothing more or less than that.
A word about mixing. A great many
people have trouble in mixing Paris
green. They are terribly afraid of it 1t
is poison, and they do not like to handle
TO take large wrapping paper (heavy
brown paper), as large as you can con-
ventienlly handle. Your plaster should
be sitted to get all the Jumps out of it.
Spread layer OF plaster on the paper,
and then spread the green as throughly
over 1t as you can carelessly; then take
your paper Zone end in each hand), and
move ii from one side by an alternate
rising and falling motion, rolling the
mixture from side to side until YOU can
not see 4 particle of plaster nor partl-
Gle OF green. 1t does not take a great
while to do ii. You should not take too
much al a time. The quantity will depend
on the size of your paper. When it is per-
iectly homogeneous in color, then it is in
4 condition 10 use. The plaster will be
washed of by the first rain, more or less
but the green is more persistent than
most people suppose. Being 4 very fine,
impalpable powder. it remanins on the
somewhat uneven surface OF the foliage
of the potato; after the plaster is washed
OFF, the green is still there, and will con-
tinue to kill the larvs of the potato-bugs
that eat it. The theory of its action is, that
the larsa eats the green, and il must eat
II IN order to produce any result 1t does
- ~ ~ "i' Si'SH
upon MN; II uoeS not XII HIM 1t must
entel ihto nus eircula'loh 10 DO That. One
a:0 a:0"i u thG Sreeh' rs Ii ave SAID, VIII
IN HILi nluI' anu is lusi as sood as pound.
ne saiiie eliect VIII DC produced on any
T, NORM tll''t eals leaVeS IA Inc same way.
ine euii''nt-w"lii . M anu the sooseDerry-
worm cat the leaf in the same way their
mouth t''hes poti siaes Oh H. ana, were
ever 'he sr'eil on 1t wiz XIII lhein me same
- 1t uoes tle P1lato-woIIh: l shouiu
nave en- no rear IN applying II 10 the currant
VI VI 'no EoUsep.iif carry III lne season'
,% Delo'G tlle run mas grown but' alter
'na', Sno"i'i use soihe'hihs eise.
DO not believe 1t IS possible for an in
soluble powder IKE fars green TO have
any detrimental influence ON the growth
oi the potato ! believe faris green has
been tired IN Michigan at the rate of 800
pounds TO the acre without any detri-
ment 10 The crop.
Repeat the operation as often as
you find the bug; that is to say.
you 20 over your field, and the next
day, if you have effectually applied the
green, you will see scarcely any potato
bugs; within 4s hours every one will have
disappeared. If you have not put il on
effectually, if you have left spots where
there are bugs, of course it will take