THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 13 



where it was left exposed in quantity so as to allow animals to get at and 

 eat it. A few eases of slight poisoning of the skin have occurred, and these 

 might have been avoided; and perhaps I cannot better illustrate how small 

 is the risk of its judicious use in the field with the precautions given in my 

 last Eeport, than by the following circumstance which came under my 

 notice : Two young men of St. Louis — Messrs. August Reitemeyer and J. 

 Fleming — were daily engaged, through the greater part of the month of 

 May, in preparing the mixture for the market. They became unnecessarily 

 careless in their work, and were actually living in an atmosphei*e heavily 

 charged with the dust, while their clothing was saturated with it through 

 and through. Yet they experienced no ill eifects from it till about the first 

 of June, when the weather became so warm that they begun to perspire. 



These facts should, however, form no excuse for the careless use of the 

 poison, and it is well to know that it must be especially guarded against 

 during the heat of the day. It should, in fact, always be dusted in the cool 

 of the morning while the dew is on the plants. 



At a meeting of the N. Y. Farmer's Club, I made the acquaintance of 

 Dr. Richard Scuppernong, who has had much experience with Paris green, 

 having been engaged in its manufacture with the firm of C. T. Reynolds & 

 Co. of that city. Manufacturers would rather make and sell at 25 cents per 

 pound in winter than to make it at 40 cents per pound in summer, the skin 

 being so much more susceptible to its effects, during the latter season. Men 

 do not ordinarily work at its manufacture continuously more than a week 

 at a time, and every one in the factory is obliged to take an occasional anti- 

 dote. Those who contemplate using it on their potatoes would do well to 

 procure a supply in the winter time, as they would thus save money. Very 

 much depends on the quantity obtained, and none biit that of a deep bright 

 green should be bought, as the paler brands are weaker and adulterated. 



Antidote for Paris Green. — The antidote for Paris green poison is 

 hydrated sesquioxide of iron. Nearly every druggist keeps it always on 

 hand. If it cannot be bought it may be prepared thus : — Dissolve copperas 

 in hot water, keep warm, and add nitric acid until the solution becomes yel- 

 low; then pour in ammonia water — common hartshorn — or a solution of 

 carbonate of ammonia, until a brown precipitate falls. Keep this ]« ecipi- 

 tate moist and in a tightly corked bottle. A few spoonfuls taken so >u after 

 even a bad case of poisoning with Paris green or arsenic is a pei cct rem- 

 edy. Every farmer who uses Paris green for the bugs should keep this 

 medicine always in his house. 



Other Applications. — One would naturally suppose thai since arsenic 

 forms one of the principal ingredients of Paris green, it ' ould also kill 

 potato bugs, with the advantage of being much cheaper. With a view of 

 ascertaining its value I tried it last spring, but with no sr isfactory results. 

 I also tried powdered cobalt which is so generally used io kill flies, and it 

 likewise failed to kill with anything like the certainl , which Paris green 

 does. White hellebore has been recommended by th c who claim to have 



