110 POTATO CUJLTUKE. 



ter the poison, and so the leaves are for the most part 

 destroyed. I agree fully with this ; but hand-picking pre- 

 vents the eating of the edges of the leaves. Again, he says : 

 " Stir the water as we may, the upper portions will always 

 hold less than the lower portions, where the insoluble heavy 

 powder collects in larger quantity in spite of constant stir- 

 ring. The leaves of the potatoes are harmed by this." This 

 I believe, and always have. But did you ever hear the 

 caution, when applying the poison dry, " Keep to the wind- 

 ward; don't breathe the dust"? Did I want my (at that 

 time) little children playing to the leeward of 12 acres of tops 

 white with poison and plaster V 



PAN FOR HOLDING LARVAE. 



Our plan has been to pick the beetles just as soon as the 

 plants break ground, and keep at it persistently for a time, 

 thus preventing the laying of many eggs. In this way we 

 have had but little trouble with the larvae. We have picked 

 the beetles in quart glass fruit-cans. They can not crawl 

 out of these handily. For gathering any larvae that may 

 hatch, we use a pan with a handle attached, as shown in 

 picture, so we do not need to stoop. The pan is carried in 



