The age-herald., 1902-05-11
Co., Mo- IT, Franklin and Broad Streets, Boston, Mass

TOT for them whatever. This Is a very small black bug which jumps like flea. hence the name of flea-beetle. They do their mischief by working upon the foli- age perforating the leaves full of fine holes, thus sapping the plants. Soon the plants will appear as though they had been near a fire. This is often, through mistake, called blight in the potato crop. nese little fellows are so deceptive in their work that unless one is very care full they will be overlooked alto- gether On the approach of any one they jump off the vines and so are not seen. In order to sec them one must sit very quiet in the felt for few minutes, and they will make their ap- pearance again on the vines In my sec tioa of the west it took me three years to convince our growers that il was this insect that was causing the blight and destruction Of our potato crops. But hn- ally our growers were forced to admit that my theory was right. l wrote quite a lengthy article this insect and it's destructive habits, which Was published in the State Agricu. .ural Report or Iowa, after having gone the rounds in several of our leading agricultural papers Since | have been in Alabama, l had letter from MT. Vanorrnan of Iowa, the grower of choice seed potatoes, and who has large contracts for growing seed po- tatoes for the leading seedsmen of Phil
 adephia, asking me where and how he might secure my article on the Flea
 Beetle. saying that it was the best trea- ] tise of the subject that he had ever seen, 1 and wanted it to print in his new book | on growing seed potatoes. Now would i say to the reader do not be deceived for | this destructive insect is now here In our l potato crops, however they may not i have been here long, and may not be 1 very destructive this season, but they in- l crease fast. Examine your potatoes and i If you find the leaves perforated, full of l fine holes you may know that they are
 there. and you need only sit stili for
 awhile to see them appear on the plants. l am very much surprised at many writ CTS, who have taken the matter up re- gently. confounding this insect with the
 old cabbage flea or jumping jack as we called them. and claiming them to ba one and the same. The two are entirely different. No similarity whatever be- tween them. To prove this let the reader catch one of each and examine them under glass. The old cabbage fiea is com partively harmless insect. or at least ia easily driven away from all plants by dusting lime or wood ashes.
 The only cffcctual rem edy for driving away this potato flea so far tried is to-
 DdccO OUbt OEhtSu on them when the vines are wet with dew. It will do them up
 quick. Better still will 1t be to make . strong tobacco tea and use the sprayer. spraying the same as for the hardshell bIetles. of course they jump of, hut the tobacco will stick to the plants. and
 much of it. will fall on them, even on
 the ground. So that one or two sprayinga
 of tobacco tea will drive them away
 Kerosene Emulsion has also been used to
 good effect. but it is not 50 effective as
 the tobacco tea. The spraying should be
 done in time and kept up until the crop
 Is secured. I notice that several writers
 recommend the use of arsenic or paris
 green to be used the same as for the
 hard shell bugs. I have tried arsenic and
 paris green both and neither had any effect whatever on them. But some one will say you had as well not k1ve any remedy at all, as to recommend the use of tobacco for people oan rot get enough tobacco for chewing and sm oking. This is no fault of mine I only give the sure remedy and the writer or those needing tho remedy must provide the mssuA