Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-02

but the few that do survive seem eminently
fl for propagating and their little yellow
eggs may be seen in clusters Of twenty to for
ty under many a potato leaf Il the eggs are
allowed to hatch. the grubs have nothing to
do but eat and grow, and this mission they
persist in with all the zeal Of a modern pedes-
trian, stopping neither by day nor by night.
As the eggs are seldom deposited in this lati-
tude az before the lst Of June, and as the
period Of incubation is three weeks the lnr-
we seldom do much damage before the 10Th
Of July when early and early-panted pota-
toes are 50 near maturity as 70 be little iniur-
ed
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 APP
pearance, are so abundant as to threaten dam
age, they had better be haud-picked or dosed
with a little Paris green. as each lady beetle
deposits about a thousand eggs. 30 that one
female squelched early in the season is equiv.
alent 10 the destruction Of hundreds in July
The females continue the deposition Of eggs
about forty days, laying a few eight to ten
the first day and increasing the daily deposit
till it reaches nearly q hundred. when the
number gradually diminishes. Consequently
after the egg-hatching season commences we
find eggs. grubs and beetles mixed up very
promiscuously. Some Of the gruls develop
into beetles much more rapidly than others,
80 that the time from the deposition Of the
egg to the production Of the beetle. or per-
feet insect varies from thirty to forty days
The female begins to lay eggs about fort
night after she issues from the ground fitted
for the conjugal relation, and thus il about
fifty days after the first egg Is deposited
comes clutch Of eggs of tie second genera
ton. Should the first eggs be deposited as
early as the latter part Of May. the carly
planted crop Of potatoes would escape the
rayages Of the host Of bugs that this second
generation will produce. We are 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 va
rietes at the right time. Every precaution
should, however, be taken to prevent the in
crease Of this pest, and the most eTectual
method, as we have suggested, is 10 dose the
first corners with Paris green. The Locr a.
he goes forth to hoe should also keep one eye
out for eggs, and keen observer will soon
see the clutches as the Irishman calls
them. and can crush them with his thumb
and finger. II left to hatch out, even if they
may do the potatoes little damage, they will
fasten upon the egg plants and tomatoes. and
multiply in compound ratio for our annoy
ance another year
Probably no hoed crop pays the New Eng
land farmer 50 well as potatoes, and he should
not be discouraged in their cultivation by
such an insignificant thing as the beetle. OF
so uncertain q thing as the blight Each
year will add to our knowledge Of the habits
Of the beetle, and enable US to head him of
or dodge him. The prairie farmer has al
ready learned not TO fear this insect We
hope to see larger area planted with pota-
toes than ever before. and we are confident
that the enterprising potato-grower has the
chances in favor of his reaping large IT,
ward.-NdsS. PIoughmdH.