290 



THE AMERICAN 



ward march without hindrance, unless other 

 preventive measures are taken than those ah-eady 

 emi)loyed. A standing premium oflered by the 

 Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Carding, for a given 

 number of beetles, or for the greatest number 

 collected and killed in one season, or for the 

 cleanest and best field of potatoes, of a given 

 number of acres, within the infested districts 

 along the eastern shores of the lakes mentioned 

 and tliose of the St. Clair river; might, and 

 undoubtedly would, be the best means of 

 stamping it out, and of keeping it out of the 

 Dominion. 



No doubt that, in sitggesting any expenditure 

 of money for such purposes, our Canadian 

 brethren will deem us over-enthusiastic about 

 " small things," and over-anxious for their wel- 

 fare. Well, be that as it may, we don't forget 

 that there is considerable of Uncle Sam's terri- 

 tory beyond Niagara. It is a mere matter of 

 dollars and cents, and we venture to say that, 

 when once this insect shall have spi-cad over 

 Ontario, a million dollars would be freely spent 

 to accomplish that which will then be almost 

 impossible, and which a very few thousands 

 would effectually accomplish now— namely, its 

 extermination from the Dominion. 



An excellent chance is now afforded in Ontario 

 — almost surrounded as it is by lakes — to keep 

 this destructive enemy at bay. In the summer 

 of 1SG9, rejiorts of this insect's ravages, and of 

 its progress eastward, came thick from Wiscon- 

 sin and Indiana; but no organized effort was 

 made to check it, and indeed there was very 

 little chance of doing so. It is now fast spread- 

 ing through Ohio ; and, according to Dr. Trimble 

 of New Jersey, has already reached Pennsylvania. 

 Uncle Sam can not well prevent its onward 

 spread around the southern shore of Lake Erie, 

 through Pennsylvania and eastward; but, if it 

 can be etfcctually resisted between Point Edward 

 and the Detroit river, there will be little difli- 

 culty in preventing its crossing at Niagara. A 

 victory would indeed be gained if, by intelligent 

 effort, tliis grievous pest could be kept out of 

 Upper Canada, while it is devastating the potato 

 fields on all sides in the States; and Minister 

 Carding would add to his well-deserved popu- 

 larity by making the effort, whether it succeeds 

 or not. 



I'AlilS GllEEN AS A REMEDY. 



While on this subject it may be well to say a 

 few words about the use of Paris green. Tliis 

 substance has now become THE remedy for the 

 Colorado Potato Beetle, and it is the best yet 

 discovered. Having thoroughly tested it our- 

 selves, and liaving scon it c.xteusivcly used, wu 



can freely say that, when applied judiciously, it 

 is efflcieut and harmless. If used jjure and too 

 abundantly, it will kill the vines as eflectually 

 as would the bugs, for it is nothing but arsenite 

 of copper (often called " Scheele's green" by 

 druggists), and contains a varied proportion of 

 arscuious acid, according to its qualit)-— often as 

 much as 59 per cent., according to Brande & 

 Taylor. But when used with six to twelve parts, 

 either of flour, ashes, plaster or slacked lime, it 

 causes no serious injury to the foliage, and just 

 as effectually kills the bugs. The varied success 

 attcnilinu- i(s iiso. us i-i'p(iii(Ml tlirougli our many 

 agriciiltui-al paiHMs. iiui>t l.c atlril)ulcd to the 

 diflcrencc in llie(puilily uftlie drug. 



We hear many fears expressed that tliis poison 

 may be washed into the soil, absorbed by the 

 rootlets of the plant, and thus poison the tubers ; 

 but persons who entertain such fears forget that 

 they themselves often apply to the ground, as 

 nourishment for the vines, either animal, vege- 

 table or mineral substances that are nauseous, or 

 even poisonous to us. Animal and vegetable 

 substances, of whatsoever nature, must be essen- 

 tially changed in character and rendered harm- 

 less before they can be converted into healthy 

 tubers, and a mineral poison could only do harm 

 by being taken with the potatoes to tlie table. 

 That any substance, sprinkled either on the vines 

 or on the ground, would ever accompany to the 

 table a vegetable wliich develops underground, 

 and which is always well cooked before use, is 

 rendered highly improbable. There can be no 

 danger in the use of sound tubers. But the wise 

 and well-informed cultivator will seldom need to 

 have recourse to Paris green, as he will find it 

 more profitable to use the different preventive 

 measures that have from time to time been 

 recommended in these columns. 



The poison may do harm, however, by being 

 carelessly used, and it is most safely applied 

 when attached to the end of a stick sevei'al feet 

 long, and should not be used where children arc 

 likely to play. 



NATURAL CHECKS INCREASING. 



In many parts of the West tliis insect is being 

 [Fig. isi] kept in due check by its canni- 

 bal and parasitic enemies, which 

 are still increasing. Thus wc 

 learn from many sources, that 

 in Iowa and Kansas it is not 

 nearly so injurious as it for- 

 merly was, while in some parts 

 of Illinois and Missouri it has 

 ''°°aiTddark-wue."""'"also bccomc Icss troublcsome. 

 Last year Mr. T. Glover published the fact that 

 the Great Lcl^ia (Lebiu grmuUs, Ilontz, Fig. 



