﻿SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT 



starve to death in the midst of a barrel of potatoes, even if it could 

 get there without being crushed ; for while it so voraciously devours 

 the leaves it will not touch the tubers. The eggs, which are quite soft 

 and easily crushed, could, of course, only be carried over on the haulm, 

 or on the living plant; and while there is a bare possibility of the 

 insect's transmission in this way, there is little probability of it since 

 the plants are not objects of commercial exchange, and the haulm, on 

 account of its liability to rot, is not, so far as I can learn, used to any 

 extent in packing. Basides, potatoes are mostly exported during that 

 part of the year when there are neither eggs, larvaj nor potato vines 

 in existence in the United States. There is only one other possible 

 way of transmission, and that is in sufficiently large lumps of earthy 

 either as larva, pupa or beetle. Now, if the American dealers^ 

 be required to carefully avoid the use of the haulm or shaw and to- 

 ship none but clean potatoes, as free as possible from earth, the insect's 

 transmission among the tubers will be rendered impossible ; and when, 

 such precautions are so easily taken, there can be no advantage in. 

 the absolute prohibition of the traffic in American potatoes. As well 

 prohibit traffic in a dozen other commodities, in many of which the 

 insect is as likely to be taken over, as in potatoes, and in some of 

 which it is even more likely to be transported. The course recently 

 adopted by the German government in accordance with the sugges- 

 tion made in my last report, is much more rational and will prove a 

 much better safeguard : It is to furnish vessels plying between the two 

 countries with cards giving illustrated descriptions of the insect in all 

 stages, with the request that passengers and crew destroy any stray 

 specimens that may be found. Let England and Ireland, together 

 with the other European governments, co-operate with Germany in. 

 this plan, and have such a card posted in the warehouses of seaport 

 towns, and the meeting rooms of agricultural societies ; and a possi- 

 ble evil will be much more likely avoided. Some of the English jour-' 

 nals are discussing the question as to whether, with the more moist 

 and cool climate of that country, our 10-lined potato beetle would 

 thrive there, even if imported. There cannot be much doubt that the 

 insect will rather enjoy the more temperate clime ; for while it thrives 

 best during comparatively dry seasons, both excessive heat and drouth 

 as well as excessive wet are prejudicial to it. 



It is argued by others that on the continent of Europe our Dory- 

 phora would not thrive if introduced, and in a recent letter received 

 from M. Oswald de Kerchove, of Gand, Belgium, author of an inter- 

 esting pamphlet on the insect,* that gentleman says : " I do not ihink. 



L'Ennemi de la Pomme de Terre, etc. , BruxelleS, 1875. 



