The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-26
COSTLY WAR MADE
ON POTATO IA BUGS [. 5
Two Virginia Counties Spend
$500, 900 Yearly Fighting Enemy
OF Potato Crop.
MUST KEEP CONSTANT WATCH
How Great Army Of the Pests
Tried to Outflank Farmers
Paris Green Rampant. 4

* :
Paris Green Rampant.
Nearly a million dollars Is spent
annually on potato bug poison In two
ANA II counties OF n single state! sur +
lprist,,y DIS this may appear, 1t Is simply
n statement OF fact. The farmers OF
Accomac and Northampton counties,
which form what's known as the East
ern shore OF Virginia, spend each year
gomething like 100000 in the des-
perate war they arc forced to wage
against the most feared enemy OF the
potato crop--the potato bug.
Annually they buy over $50 tons OF
this poison. or something ike l,Soo.Vov|
pound 4. and the cost OF applying 1t Is
nearly twice ms great as the cost ol
1.-THE poison itself.
| This section OF Virginia Is one OF
I the greatest potato producing sections
/ OF the United States. and each year
thousands and tons of thousands OF
barrels are Slipped TO the markets OF
|lthe Eastern scoast--New York, Phila-
|delphia, Boston. Baltimore and WASH
|ington, and even to many western
cities. a crop which can be marketed
az a fair price means year OF pros
perity and plenty for the farmers Of
these two counties. The reverse means
|oftentimes debt and want.
Requires Close Watching.
The potato bug Is an enemy that
N would provo fatal to the crop each
i |year unless 1t was carefully guarded
I Iuga;nst and energetic war waged upon
|it When the potato plant is in Its
infancy It Is attacked by hordes Of
: yellow and black-striped bug which,
w:en fully grown Is covered with q
H, : tot ru fc
a full growth Is more Ike small worm
q than anything else.
a The potato bugs apparently rise from
a the earth as soon as the potato plants
2 have begun to grow leaves and attack
Il the foliage. a single day Is sufficient
s. for these pests to strip every leaf
Is from the plants in large field, unless
"a their work Is stopped by poison The
10 bug breeds prolifically. 1t lays Its eggs
II upon the backs OF the leaves Of po-
Il tato plants, and In single day these
Ieggs are fatched. It is no unusual
"a sight to sec large plant almost en-
y. tirely covered by the bugs.
IN At the outset OF the season. wher
T. the plants are small, the bugs are. conf
st paratively speaking, few. and the farm
ne or is able to protect his plants by hay,
Ia ing a force Of men sprinkle the plants
t. with poison solution.
T. Paris green Is the poison general!
used. 1t comes In pound boxes and y
n powder. To uss 1t unmixed Wit
water or something else would prov
too expensive. and, besides. the poisol
and often kills the potato plant itsel!
The general practice is to mix the pow
Htfder with water or the cheapes
Ii coarsest grades Of flour or meal.
II The farm hands put the mixture
] watering pots. II 1t is liquid, and wal
through the rows Of potato 5 plan J,
spraying them as they 60 II tn
poison is mixed with flour or inca me
'ty an even more primitive method Is use
- An old can is pressed into service. !.
number Of fine holes are drilled IN u
Ibottom, stick Is tackled on one sig 9
and armed with this crude apparat -
the farm hand goes down tne to Wv
S. shaking the can over. eacn Plan.
est ocessarily the potato bug. in eattr
a|theS41eaves of the plant. must eat
on poof,ly norton of the poison. II &C
Inc within a few minutes. and the pul
-, drop from the plants by the thousan
nv nv Ent as soon US one lot Is killed a.
ur- other takes Its place. and the spra
for ing has to be repeated.
Ugh Sprinkling by hand Is etfectlVe 3
The long as the plants are young a.
~ small and the bugs comparatively 1e
any ~ ~ nnt 50 effective when the plan
ave larger and tho bugs more hume
lete IN ,re r,eat th,s din1culty a patent
and i. MT mike a sire
:, sprinkler in general size, shape
t'ar mode OF operation, Is used on lar
ret farms.
at one of these holds from 100 to
Of gallons Of poison. Drawn by hors
erni it sprinkles from eight to doz
me, rows at time, and 1t effectively CO
ure ers an acre In less time than It wor
Of take dozen men to do the work
eed. hand. Over and over the crop has
Ass be sprinkled, and with each sprinkll
ldst the cost Of tho crop Is materially
J, is creased,
j. "A 4 n.,.,a y, tho E,armer..
me- .''.' !.