The age-herald., 1902-05-11
GRlCULTURAL DEPARTMENT ..

drugs and prepare the necessary insecti- cides at ..ome.
 Potato Beetle.
 These arc abroad in the country by the millions and where not checked will soon devour all crops of potatoes. It might seem that this oIu common enemy to all crops of potatoes as well as of many other plants, such as egg plant, beans, etc. IS too well known to need any mention. Yet, 1t may be well to say something or their habits. There arc two broods or them each season. The first old bugs which survive the winter make their ap- pearance quite early In the spring, often coming before the plants are up, and so feed on many other wild plants until or while they are waiting for the potato crop But they are not idle while walt ing but are increasing fast and while l mention two broods, l mean these oio ones first and their generations which If they are left alone may be many. There may be an almost innumerable host or this first brood for all that are not killed by man will burrow themselves away In the earth to come forth the next season with the same law of reproduction. These first old ones that come forth from their winter quarters do very little mischief in eating, their mission being that or re producing themselves, and they increase very rapidly. These o. frst-comers often deceive the farmer, for they eat so very little that their presence Is overlooked. Now, here is where the work of prevent ing should come in, for if farmers would
 use at once as soon as the potato plants
 begin to pus.i through the ground, the so- luton I shall here mention they would kill off thousands of these old bugs before
 they get in their work of laying eggs Tor the young crop. There is no use waiting for them to come, for they are sure to | be here and it is so much the better plan | to kill them before they damage the crop | than afterwards.
 | Only few years ago these bugs were ] just as destructive in the west as they l are here now. The farmers all over the | country took the matter in hand and soon | completely exterminated them. Ihey went | after them with Paris-green ana arsenic | and kept after them until they were eh- | tirely destroyed. Many farmers preferred | destroying their crops. if necessary III | order to get clear of the bugs, and nave | known of many crops being entirely de- l stroyed by ting tl~ solution too strong. 1 -.rmers have learned, now, how to pre- pare and use this solution with but slight | damage to the crops. Then, too we have l learned that 1t requires very little arsenic | to kill the bugs. So every farmer snoulo make 1t rule to kill every bug on ms | farm, for it is only In this way that the country can se, rid of them. Last sea ' son a number of farmers said to me that
 the bugs had so damaged their crops be-
 fore they could get around to them that they were going to let them alone and | blow up and plant some later crops. | But, before doing this. the helcs should l be gone over with the arsenic solution and every bug killed. If had fully os- oidou on blowing up the crops l should be sure to make the soiuttoa so strong
 that not one bug might escape. There IS
 no use in thinking that they will be ksli-
 c. by any hard freezing winters. for they have ap e2nsinct that teaches them seI- l preserszNtN and they will burrow oown