290 



THE AMERICAN 



■ward march without liindrance, unless other 

 preventive nieasu.res are taken than those already 

 employed. A standing premium oflFered 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 giyen 

 number of acres, within the infested districts 

 along the eastprn shores of the lakes mentioned 

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

 undoubtedly would, be the best means of 

 stamiDing it out, and of keeping it out of the 

 Dominion. 



No doubt that, in suggesting anj' expenditure 

 of money for such purposes, our Canadian 

 brethren will deem lis over-enthusiastic about 

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

 fare. AVell, 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 w^e venture to say that, 

 when once tliis insect shall have spread over 

 Ontario, a million dollars would be freely spent 

 to accomplish that which wiU then be almost 

 impossible, and which a very few thousands 

 would eflfectually 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 1869, reports 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 sx^read- 

 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 effectually resisted between Point Edward 

 and the Detroit river, there will be little diffi- 

 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 Avould add to his well-deserved popu- 

 larity by making the effort, whether it succeeds 

 or not. 



PAKIS GREEN AS A REMEDY. 



While on this subject it may be well to say a 

 few woi-ds about the use of Paris green. This 

 substance has now become THE remedy for the 

 Colorado Potato Beetle, and it is the best yet 

 discovered. Ha-^dng thoroughly tested it our- 

 selves, and having seen it extensively used, we 



can freely say that, when applied judiciously, it 

 is efficient and harmless. If used pure and too 

 abundantly, it will Idll the vines as cfl'ectually 

 as would the bugs, for it is nothing but arsenite 

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

 druggists), and contains a varied proportion of 

 arsenious acid, according to its quality — -often as 

 much as 59 per cent., according to Brande & 

 Taylor. But Avhen iised Avith 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 

 attending its use, as reported through our many 

 agricultural papers, must be attributed to the 

 difference in the quality of the drug. 



We hear many fears expressed that this poison 

 may be washed into the soil, absorbed by the 

 rootlets of the plant, and thus poison the tubers ; 

 but ijersons 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 iDoison could only do harm 

 by being taken with the potatoes to the table. 

 That any substance, sprinkled either on the vines 

 or on the ground, would ever accompany to the 

 table a vegetable which 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 several feet 

 long, and should not be used where children are 

 likely to play. 



NATURAL CHECKS INCUEASING. 



In many parts of the West tliis insect is being 

 [Fig. 181.] kept indue check by its canni- 

 bal and parasitic enemies, Avhich 

 are still increasing. Thus we 

 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 

 aud dark-blue, \also becomc Icss troublcsome. 

 Last year Mr. T. Glover published the fact that 

 the Great Lebia (Lebia grancUs, JHentz, Fig. 



Colors — Yellowish-brow 



