I COLORADO POTATO-BEETLE. 73 



I though it is generally supposed that the majority of them hyber- 

 nate under ground. 



To show the efficacy of Paris-green on a large scale and in en- 

 ergetic hands, I cannot do better than to quote, in full, two letters 

 which I have recently received, relating to this subject, and from 

 two very remote localities : 



Big Thompson, Colorado, Od. 1, 1870, 

 Dr. Willum LeBaron: 



Dear Sir — In the Prairie Farmer of May 28, you requested a report from those 

 who experimented with Paris-green. Here is mine: 



The Colorado Potato-bug attacked my potato field early in May, and having a large 

 crop (twenty-five acres), I procured nine pounds of Paris-green and mixed it with six 

 times its bulk in flour, and applied it to the vines in the morning, when the dew was on. 

 The result was, I killed millions of bugs and saved my potato crop. 



I commenced digging my potatoes on the 10th ult., and have now about eighteen 

 hundred bushels in the pits, and expect to have about three thousand bushels in all. 

 The second brood of bugs have made their appearance, and the ground is literally cov- 

 ered with them ; thousands of them crawl into the potato pits and eat the potatoes vor- 

 aciou.'^ y, especially the cut ones. I found as many as twenty-five bugs on one potato. 

 Will they live in these pits all winter ? If so, I fear that they will damage the potatoes 

 to a great extent. Is their any remedy that will exterminate them now ? 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



JOHN SULLIVAN. 



In reply to this letter, I stated that if Mr. S. thought it too early 

 in the season to close his pits with earth, I should advise him to 

 cover them with a close matting of straw, which would be likely 

 to exclude most of the insects, and yet give sufficient ventilation ; 

 and as to their damage in the pits, I thought it would be of short 

 duration, as approaching winter would render them torpid, and in 

 the spring their tendency would be to leave the pits in search of 

 light and fresh food, and in obedience to the instinct of propaga- 

 tion. 



RusHviLLE, Indiajja, S«pt. 26, 1870. 

 Dr. William LkBaron: 



Sir — Having seen, by chance, a number of the Prairie Farmer, of Sept. 10, containing 

 a few remarks by you in reference to the Colorado Potato-bug, I send you my experience 

 and observations. The first ever seen in this locality made their appearance in June, 

 1869. Paris-green, mixed with five to ten parts of wood ashes, efieetually destroyed 

 them, and the crops of potatoes were unsurpassed. Last Spring they came much earlier 

 in the season, very soon after the potato tops were above ground, and by millions. Paris- 

 green, used in the same way, was entirely ettectual; but a second brood appeared, which 

 was destroyed in the same way, and potatoes are good for this season. Variety, mostly 

 Early Kose. Many of my neighbors used Paris-green in the same way with similar re- 



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