The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-08-26
NEW POTATO
IS BUGLESS
lSCOVERED BY SOUTH DAKOTA
MAN.
Prof. HANSEN TO TEST 1T
ON THE EXPERIMENT STATION
N AT THE STATE COLLEGE.

ii. Bonney of Forestburg, this state,
which is claimed to be immune to
The attack of the Colorado beetle, CON-
monty known as the potato bug. The
new variety will be given a through
try-out at the experiment station
TO determine just what its merits are.
In speaking of the new variety the
Sioux Falls Press says:
# In response to an inquiry published
In the Press as to whether any bug.
less potatoes are grown in South Da-
kota, G. H. Bonney of Forestburg, S.
d., former state senator and man of
high standing, asserts that he has
variety of potatoes so constituted as
to cause all of the potato bugs in the
United States to starve to death and
save the potato-growers of the country
some millions of dollars paid out for
Paris green and an untold amount of
labor and money.
d When asked whether any variety of
s"bugless potatoes" is known, both the
South Dakota Agricultural college and
the United States department of agri-
culture declared there was not. So If
Mr. Bonney's positive claims are to be
considered, he has a vegetable dis
covery not only novel, but of great
importance.
1t was estimated by a wholesale
drug house in Sioux Falls this sum-
mer that it had sold fifty tons of Paris
green during the season, almost en-
tirely for use on the Colorado beetle,
commonly known as the potato bug.
Many ingenious persons have tried to
find a labOr-saving system of killing
these pests, but to date there is no
sure way of destroying them except
by personally administering liberal
doses of this poison. Fifty tons of
Paris green is worth to the user
about $50,000 and as the Sioux Falls
drug house above mentioned did not
supply more than one-third of the
state, it is quite probable that the an
nual bill for Paris green in South
Dakota alone amounts to something
like 100000. That means in the I'm
tied States the potato bug, III Paris
green alone costs not less than
$3,O00,000 a year. Not only that, but
the bug reduces the yield of potatoes
an unestimated amount. Any way,
it is certain this insect requires a
good many millions of dollars for it's
annual support.
Concerning his bug-proof potatoes
Mr. Bonney says:
'I have a variety of potatoes called
"bugless," and as long as have known
them, they have never had bug on
them. I have them growing here now
and can prove this assertion any day.
This variety was first brought here
from near Fergus Falls, Mimi, some
seven or eight years ago and has been
grown here ever since. Under no con-
ditions have the Colorado beetles ever
attacked this variety even alongside
of other varieties destroyed. They are
good yielders-subject, of course, to
climatic conditions. The quality is un-
surpassed in their season, that is, from
March 10 to September Is. They are
in form and look similar to the Great
State Of Wisconsin potato, large,
round and slightly oval. That
they are first class for the table
speaks we'll for them. They are a
fine variety to ship for late eating,
hard and mealy, with small, shallow
eyes. Anyone who can tell me why
the bugs will not eat them I will
present with a peck of seed"
Sample leaves of the potato were
sent to Prof N. E. Hansen of the
South Dakota Agricultural college, who
has an international reputation as the
man who introduced various fruits
and grains and grasses from Russia
and who has been the representative
of the United States government on
such missions. He was asked for an
explanation and a statement whether
he knew anything about any bug
less" potatos. The leaves were par
ticularily sound and were declared to
be representative of the whole patch
from which they were taken. Prof.
Hansen's reply follows:
81 have no experience with and do
not know of any such variety of po-
tatoes Several years ago / had few
varieties of potatoes from Germany
and South Africa and noticed that one
variety was practically immune to po-
tato bugs, but as it was inferior in
other respects, the matter was not
followed up. 1t would certainly be
wise to have the variety carefully test
ed in several experiment stations be-