ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE. 381 



be taken not to have too strong or too 

 much of it, else the remedy would be as 

 bad as the disease, and both potato bee- 

 tles and plants would be killed at the 

 same time. Straw placed loosely over 

 the plants will protect them somewhat 

 from the insect, but would cost too much 

 when spread over a large field. If the 

 larvae and perfect beetles are beaten off 

 the plants into pans, as is frequently 

 done, it would be advantageous to have 

 the vessels, which are to receive them 

 when they fall from the plants, made of 

 smooth tin, shaped somewhat like a spit- 

 toon but much deeper, with the slope in- 

 wards to the central hole in the top, or a 

 much greater inclination so that the in- 

 sects would readily slide down and fall 

 into the main case, where, once in, they 

 could not possibly escape. This top 

 might also be made much larger, and 

 shallow, funnel-shaped, if desired, to cov- 

 er more space, and be attached to a bag. 

 The same vessels might be used for the 

 rose beetle and other insects which fall to 

 the ground when disturbed. When open 

 mouth bags or sweeping nets are used to 

 sweep them off the foliage, this plan 

 might be modified by using a net or bag 

 and somewhat like the fish-baskets in rivers 

 and creeks — that is, with a double net or 

 bag attached to a hoop, the outer one being 

 very long, conical, and with an opening 

 at the lower end, which can be closed by 

 means of a string, and through which 

 the insects captured can be shaken into 

 hot water ; the inner net to be also coni- 

 cal but shallower, with a smooth round 

 hole in the centre, through which the 

 beetles are swept when the net is forced 

 over or under the plants. This orifice 

 might be made of tin and closed with a 

 cork when the net is nearly full, or when 

 not in use. Such a net could be made 

 of any size or shape, and would un- 

 doubtedly be of much utility, as the in- 

 sects, once swept into the inner part, 

 could not possibly escape, as is frequently 

 the case when open-mouthed sweeping 

 nets are used. The ring of the net by 

 which the mouth is kept open can readily 

 be made of common telegraph wire ; any 

 straight and strong stick will answer for 

 a handle, and the bags may be made of 

 canvas or strong muslin. The edges ot 

 the hoop to which the net is fastened 

 ought to be protected by a covering ot 



leather or some such material, as the 

 muslin is subject to be worn away by 

 friction when beating the plants. Pow- 

 dered hellebore is reported to have been 

 used with effect as a means of destroying 

 both the Colorado potato bug and the 

 gooseberry or currant worms, if dusted 

 over and under the foliage when the 

 plants are wet with dew. Hellebore, 

 however, is a somewhat dangerous reme- 

 dy, on account of its poisonous qualities. 



The true remedy consists in preventing 

 them from becoming numerous so late in 

 the season. Watch for the beetles in 

 early spring, when the vines are just peep- 

 ing out of the ground. Ensnare as many 

 of them as you can before they get a 

 chance to pair, by making a few small 

 heaps of potatoes in the field planted; to 

 these the beetles will be attracted for food, 

 and you can easily kill them in the morn- 

 ing. Keep an eagle eye for the eggs which 

 are first deposited. Cultivate well by fre- 

 quently stirring the soil. Plant early varie- 

 ties in preference to iate ones, because the 

 bugs are always more numerous late in 

 the season than they are during the spring 

 and early summer. Give the preference 

 to the peach-blow, early rose and such 

 other varieties as have been found most 

 exempt from attack, and surround your 

 fields on the outside by rows of such ten- 

 der-leaved varieties as the Mercer, 

 Shaker, Russet, Pinkeye and early Good- 

 rich ; but, above all, isolate your potato 

 field as much as possible, either by using 

 land surrounded with timber, or by plant- 

 ing in the centre of a cornfield. Carry 

 out these suggestions thoroughly and you 

 will not have much use for Paris green, 

 and still less for the scorching remedy. 



THE APPLE CUCTJLIO.— The Apple, 

 or Four-Humped Curculio, (Fig. 23, 

 a natural size; b, side view; c, back 

 view,) is a smaller insect with a snout 

 which sticks out more or less hori- 

 zontally and cannot be folded under, and 

 which in the male is about half as long, 

 and in the female is fully as long as the 

 whole body. This insect has narrow- 

 shoulders and broadens behind, where it 

 is furnished with four very conspicuous 

 humps, from which it takes its name. It 

 has neither the polished black elevations 

 nor the pale band of the Plum Curculio. 

 In short, it differs generically, and never 

 attacks stone fruit. 



