48 



INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE POTATO. 



Bt E. B. Reed, London, Ontaeio. 



Addenda to the Report of 1870. 



Fig. 36. 



Colours — (a) deep orange; (b) and (c) Venetian red, inclitiing to (ream oolour ; (d) and (e) cream 



colour aud black. 



During the past year we looked f.rward with consideralile anxiety to the effect that the 

 Colorado Beetle would produce on the potato cr.ip; we are glad to be able to report that on 

 the whole, less mischief lias been doue than we ant cipated. It is somewh:it difficult, how- 

 CTer, to arrive at an accurate cstimite. The Bureau of Agriculture forward.s every year to 

 the Secretaries of the Electoral Division Agricultural Societies a priuted circuhtr requesting 

 ^detailed return of the crops in each district, if these returns were properly made they would 

 afford much valuable information. It is to be regretted that they are not more universally 

 attended to. Sd far as we can learn only 40 of these returns have been made for 1872, and 

 it is on these pirtial details that we must base our analysis for the Potato crop. While, how- 

 ever, the ravages of the beetle have been somewhat less than we expected, its increase in num- 

 bers and onward progress have yet been such as to cause not only a material effect on the crop, 

 but also to maintain a good deal of alarm amongst the farming community. A comparison 

 of the crop returns for the two past years fully confirms the statement made in our former 

 reports, that the second and third years of appearance of the beetle are worse than the first. 



A few statistics may not be out if place here. 



In 1871, 45 Agricultural Societies sent in returns shewing an average crop of 131 bush- 

 els per acre. 



In the past year, 1872, only 40 Societies reported, with an average of 118 bushels per 

 acre. 



In 1871 only 14 Societies reported the presence of the beetle, while 33 were free from it, 

 and none badly affected. 



In 1872, 26 Societies report injury from the beetle, and 8 report very serious dam.ij;e, 

 in some cases almost total destruction, lind only 14 aj pear to be free. 



