The Portland daily press., 1883-06-19
The Potato Bug.

The one dangerous characteristic of the
potato bug is that it is persstant worker.
1t is not a sneak, like cut worm, cureulio.
and many other enemies of the farmer and
fruit grower; it never stops work moment
because any one is looking on or preparing
to do 1t harm; 1t is non-combatant, and
does not fight hack when molested, like bees
or snakes, and there is no mystery at all, no
quackery about what is effectual to destroy
it. If therefore, it makes headwav against
the potato crop it is due entirely to its won
derful persistence as a plodder, and to the
farmers neglect of the known and estab-
lished means to destroy it.
Its habits, too, teach a lesson to industry
in chosen line of work. Its sole business
in life seems to be to eat potato tops, and it
begins that work as soon as Matched. and
continues it right along through sunshine
and shower until its mission on earth is full
filled, or until there are no potato patches
left to conquer. 1t takes no holidays, has
no regard to Sunday. Men have two
troubles from which they cannot exempt
themselves, death and taxes the potato bug
has but one, which is death. Only death
stops its work. 1t takes no notice of time,
unless to anticipate it, for it is said that in
late seasons, when the potato is backward
about coming forward, the bug moth, or
mother, mounts fence, or a tree, or a
stump close by the patch. and watches for
Its resurrection with the fierce 1ess of hope
ong deferred, and in some cases of prolonged
fasting actually burrows into the hill and
meets the tender sprout half way, or eats up
the seed. At any rate, there is no waste of
time.
The means of heading off the work of this
enemy OF our choice fruit of the earth is in
every mans drug store. It is the sscold
pizen" popularity known as Paris green. Its
effectiveness, properly applied, is unques-
toned; its harmfulness to the tubers is a
myth of ignorant or unbalanced heads. WHY.
then, is it not made effectual in preventing
ravages to the crop? Simply because thous-
ands OF would be potato growers do not imi-
tate, to any serious extent, the bugs persis-
tent industry, and fight it to the death. 1t
requires nothing but work, and not a diff
cult or dangerous work at that. a man, a
boy, or woman caR do ii, or even a politi-
clan, it 1850 easy, and so inexpensive an art to
kill the potato bug at the rate of some mill
ions day that many, for the very reason
that it is plain and simple task, refuse to
do it. Were they told TO buy small bottle
of medicine for SO, with a stunning Greek
or Latin name about as long as a line of
type, and wese to dilute this with 100 fogs-
heads of water, and before planning to bathe
the seeds exactly five seconds in this solu-
tion, and every time a piece of seed was
dropped to pronounce in a solemn tone the
words hic jdcet, there are many thousands
who would do it in preference to applying
Paris green, and, in case of only a partial
failure of the bug crop that year, would at
tribute 1t to this remedy. But as the real
remedy is proved, plain, and common place.
and, requires only persevering industry at
somewhat regular intervals there are a great
many who discard it and complain that DO
tato growing no longer pays.
AL kinds of head and hand workers can
learn something about the potato bug as we'll
as the ant, to whom Solomon commended
the sluggard of his day. 1t is the accretion
OF its work that makes up the sum total Of
the ravages that SO appal the farmer and the
potato buyer, and not that anything sensa-
tional is done by fits and starts. A man
who will sit down by potato bill and look
at the bug at its work will find it very tedi-
GUS business to stay there until he can see
any visible progress made. There is no hum
of industry there as in the beehive; no such
rattle and bang as in tin shop or boiler
factory; no such cheerful chirrup of pleas
ant things about the neighbors as one hears
at village church or country sociable Of
the sisters; nor even the refined converse
tion of the staid old farmers when they lean
on their hoe-handles and talk horse at pub
lie road-makings. The sun will rise and set,
the curfew bell-if there was one-will toll,
the dews will fall, the stars will come out
and Texas meseors will flesh athwart the
skies, and all this be encored several times,
perhaps, before the patient observer will be
able to note any visible progress in the work
potato devastation going ON about him.
But it goes on, nevertheless, and, If the
the bugs are let alone, it will cost nothing
to dig the crop. Each bug does little dur
ing each little moment of its little existence,
and the aggregate is stupendous. Com
pound interest could hardly do more for the
human race. The fast man or the plodding
hater may despise 1t, but he cannot afford
to despise the results. and the industrious
man will adopt the plan, because therein
respectable mediocrity is more than match
for squirting genius.-Philadelph Press.