Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-07-04
Agricultural.
I,nI.nnrd TrnIt ana NeretahIes

We have several times called attention to
tho danger of using Paris green or London
purple to destroy insects on fruit trees or gar
den vegetables. Tho uso Of thesedeadly poi
sons for this purpose appears to be incroas-
ing, or Mt least We are led to believe II is from
the number of writer's who recommend 1t and
the number of papers that publish their rec
concentrations without word of comment or
caution. few agricultural papers go 80 far
as 10 advise showering fruit trees with solu-
ton of Paris green--as IL covering the green
fruit, the foliage of the tree and the grass be.
meath it with poison enough to kill Eve hun
dred men could do no harm.
The Michigan agricultural college is partly
responsible for the recklossness with which
these dangerous poisons are used. Having
failed to find any trace Of the poison on the
fruit from trees that had been sprayed with
Paris green the conclusion was jumped at
that its use was perfectly harmless so the
Homestead tells its readers:
"Oanker worms can be efTeotually destroyed
by spraying the trees with solution of Paris
groon or London purple. This information
was given several times last season, etc
In answer to the inquiry whether Paris
green showerod on trees to kill cankor worms
would do any harm to the grass under them,
which was to be moved, the same paper, of
another date, replies mo- or there is very
little danger, as the first rain will wash the
powder into the ground"
Now, what farmer has not known the pota-
to bugs to be killed on the poisoned vines
weeks after the application Of the poison and
after days of rainy weather. 1t is evident
that the poison would be longer retained on
the grass under the cover Of tree which had
been showered with q solution of Paris green
than on potato vines in an open field. The
agitation of the leaves by the wind in dry
weather would cause the poison to fall gradu-
ally from the tree on to the grass, and it would
be gradually washed on to it by the dew and
rain. We would almost as soon mix little
Paris green with the meal fed to our cows as
to feed them with grass cut under a fruit tree
that had been showered with ii. We shall
use no Paris green on the grass that is to be
fed to our animals, nor on the cabbages to be
used on the table nor do we care to eatfruit
that is sound because the larvU of the coding
moth, Matched in the eye of the apple, was
killed by deadly poison before it could en-
ter the pulp.
Paris green and London purple have been
used by market gardeners for killing cabbage
worms perhaps more extensively than is
known. A few use these poisons for this pur-
pose openly, and advise others to use them
but probably most of those selling cabbsges
that have been sprinkled with Paris green do
not mention this fact to their customers. Il.
S. Lacey, an extensive truck farmer near
Washington, D. c.. kills the worms on his
cabbages with London purple, and recon-
mends its use. Another market gardener
near the city, Col. Wright Rives, says in a
communication to Prof. Riley, entomologist
of tho Department of Agriculture, that last
year, in the way of experiment, no applied
Paris green and London purple to his cab
bagos, and that every worm was killed but
that neither of these preparations would an
swer, as both arc deadly poisons and must
prove very dangerous, if not fatal, to human
life. Prof Riley says: Either Paris green,
London purple or white hellebore will kill the
worms if scattered on the leaves where they
will 90 eaten by them, but few persons will
uso these substances for fear of their poison
GUS effects; and we might add that it is
hardly less than a criminal ofTense to use such
poisons on any vegetables or fruit where they
will come in contact with the parts to be eaten.