The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-05-11
THE IRISH POTATO BEETLE
Appeared in United States in
1882 and Has Spread Over
Entire Country

L hS IlISL uSoSAlpblOH u Ihio III
sect that we have was made by
Thomas Say in 1912 and his speci-
mems came from the upper Missouri
river valley. The original food plant
of the pest was buffalo bur-a plant
closely related to our white potato,
tomato and several others common to
the garden and field. When the
early settlers began to plant potatoes
in the west the beetle discovered the
new plant and took to it at once. In
1859 the pest was feeding on pota-
toes 100 miles west of Omaha, Neb.
From there they came east. The
Missouri river was crossed in 1864;
the Atlantic coast was reached in
1874 and from the east they came
south so that now the whole United
States is pretty well infested with
this pest.
When the potato beetle started
out spraying was unknown and the
farmers of the country were greatly
troubled by the advance of this pest,
just as the southern farmers are wor-
ried about the boil weevil. In time,
however, arsenical sprays and dusts
were found that would kill the potato
beetle and not hurt the plants, just
as the control of the boil weevil is
being worked out with rotation crops
and busting machines. The good po-
tato grower does not now mind the
beetle, for the pest is easily held in
check. 1t is only the poor potato
grower who has crop eaten up and
destroyed by the bugs. So it will
soon be with the cotton farmers
the good ones will make a crop in
in spite of the weevil.
Besides the common Irish or white
potato the beetles will also attack
eggplant, tomato, pepper and even
tobacco. Ground cherry, thorn ap-
pie, henbane, jamestown weed, horse
nettle, belladonna and petunia will
also be eaten in times of food scar
city.
The potato beetle hibernates as an
adult during the winter, sometimes
under rubbish but more generally in
the Soil a few inches below the sur
face. The yellowish, brown striped
beetles come from their winter quar-
tiers just before early planted pota-
toes have come up. They feed for
time, and after pairing, eggs are
laid on the underside of young
leaves. The egg is yellow, stands on
end and is laid in a cluster. A sin
gle female lays from 200 to 1900
eggs with an average of about 400 to
500 These eggs do not all mature
at the same time but in succession, as
the female lays over period of -four
to five weeks. The egg matches in
from four to nine days after being
laid and on Matching the young larva
begins at once to feed on the leaves
In from ten days to three weeks the
larva becomes full grown and enters
the ground to depth of severa
inches, where it transforms to ;
pupa.
In from five to ten days this pup;
has changed to a beetle, and come
from the soil. After feeding for ;
few days the beetle may commenc,
egg laying or go into the soil for ;
rest of varying length. AS there i
such an overlapping of generations
and the egg laying continues owe,
such lengths of time, all stages of tn,
insect may be found in the field a
the same time.
This pest is easy of control. Ar
senate of lead used as a dust or a
a liquid spray just as soon as the pc
tatoes come up in the spring will xii
most of the over-wintering adulas anC
cut off great deal of egg laying. l.
this spray is repeated again in three
weeks or a month there should be lit
tie trouble from the potato beetle
Paris green may also be used on po
tatoes as they are not injured by Thu
poison. Use four ounces of Pari:
green to fifty gallons of water; use
also like amount of quick-lime will
the Paris green. If arsenate of leac
is used use one to two pounds to the
fifty gallons. AS a dust mix Pari:
green with flour or air-slaked lime
at the rate of one part of the Pari.
green to thirty parts of the dust.
In small patch hand picking may
be resorted to if spraying is moi
practiced. Keep a close watch on the
patch of potatoes and pick off all the
bugs that aDnear ear1v in tho Goa