The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-05-10

are in them.
But the best way to avoid damage by this insect
is to give the trees the three regular s~prayings
every spring with bordeaux mixture and paris
green. We have discussed this in detail in these
columns before. lie you have not a spray pump,
write to any or all of the firms who have been
in The Progressive Farmer and ask
for their catalogues of spraying apparatus, from
which you should be able to select apparatus suit
able to your needs. If you wish to know how to
prepare the bordeaux mixture and paris green,
write to me for Circular No. 6 on Spraying APP
pies and Pears" which will be sent to you on re-
quest. IF you are not already receiving the Ento-
biological Circulars issued from this Office, write
to me for an application blank for circulars"
which will be sent you.
MR.. SIMPSONS POTATO BEETLE REMEDY.
3. In response to Mr.. 7. III. Simpson. It is
very gratifying to be so heartily seconded in my
recommendation regarding the potato beetle.
This shows that we must be giving good advice
in these articles-and we do not intend to give any
other kind. We have never tried the pine-brush
method of repelling the beetles, but can assure
Mr.. Simpson that it is certainly a much slower
and more troublesome method than spraying with
the bordeaux mixture and paris green, and, be-
sides, we pointed out, the applications not only
serve to protect the potatoes from the potato
beetle, but from various blights, rusts, ETC., as
well. Indeed we are of the opinion that the spray
ing would more than pay for itself in the i'm
proved yield and quality of the crop even if there
were no beetles to be considered. Spraying, as a
horticultural practice, has come to stay. Ger
tainly at the present time there is no prospect that
it will ever be replaced by any other operation. Of
course there will be improvements in methods, but
they will be improvements IN spraying itself and
not the substitution of other operations. We
have just issued chronological Circular No. 8 on
"The Potato Beetle" which we will gladly send to
anyone on request. Those whose names are al
ready on my list will receive this circular in due
time, so need not ask me for it.
The potato beetle, which is now so destructive
to Irish potatoes, is not the same as the old, origi-
nal, native "nettle-briar beetle" Both species are
known to me, and [ have specimens of each in the
collections in this office, and they can be easily dis
tinguished, although the resemblance is close, and
could be easily overlooked by one who was not
aware that there are two different species. The
old native species is somewhat larger and consid-
erably broader across the forward part of the body,
and (what is the most noticeable difference), two
of the black stripes on each wing-cover almost
run into each other throughout their length while
with the introduced, or "Colorado' species, the
stripes are always distinctly separated. There
are other structural differences, but I have mere
ly mentioned those which one may most readily
detect. The old native species has rapidly dis
appeared before the advance of it's western rela-
tive until now it is quite rare. In this State, I
have taken but two specimens, both taken at New
ton, in Catawba County, one on May r 2, 1902, and
the other about a year later. In both cases, the
insect was found on the horse-nettle. Mr.. Stimp-
son did not give his address, but [ should like to
hear from him direct, by personal letter.