73 [ 333 ] 
though it is generally supposed that the majority of them hyber- 
nate under ground. 
To show the efficacy of Paris-green on a large scale and in en¬ 
ergetic hands, I cannot do better than to quote, in full, two letters 
which I have recently received, relating to this subject, and from 
two very remote localities : 
Big Thompson, Colorado, Oct. 7, 1870. 
' « 
Dr. William LeBaron: 
Dear Sir— In the Prairie Farmer of May 28, you requested a report from those 
who experimented with Paris-green. Here is mine: 
The Colorado Potato-bug attacked my potato field early in May, and having a large 
crop (twenty-five acres), I procured nine pounds of Paris-green and mixed it with six 
times its bulk in flour, and applied it to the vines in the morning, when the dew was on. 
The result was, I killed millions of bugs and saved my potato crop. 
I commenced digging my potatoes on the 10th ult, and have now about eighteen 
hundred bushels in the pits, and expect to have about three thousand bushels in all. 
The seeond brood of bugs have made their appearance, and the ground is literally cov¬ 
ered with them; thousands of them crawl into the potato pits and eat the potatoes vor¬ 
aciously, especially the cut ones. I found as many as twenty-five bugs on one potato. 
Will they live in these pits all winter ? If so, I fear that they will damage the potatoes 
to a great extent. Is their any remedy that will exterminate them now ? 
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
t JOHN SULLIVAN. 
In reply to this letter, I stated that if Mr. S. thought it too early 
in the season to close his pits with earth, I should advise him to 
cover them with a close matting of straw, which would be likely 
to exclude most of the insects, and yet give sufficient ventilation ; 
and as to their damage in the pits, I thought it would be of short 
duration, as approaching winter would render them torpid, and in 
the spring their tendency would be to leave the pits in search of 
licffit and fresh food, and in obedience to the instinct of propaga- 
D 
tion. 
Rushville, Indiana, Sept. 26, 1870. 
Dr. William LeBaron: 
Sir— Having seen, by chance, a number of the Prairie Farmer, of Sept. 10, containing 
I a few remarks by you in reference to the Colorado Potato-bug, I send you my experience 
l an( j observations. The first ever seen in this locality made their appearance in June, 
\ 1869> Paris-green, mixed with five to ten parts of wood ashes, effectually destroyed 
i them, and the crops of potatoes were unsurpassed. Last Spring they came much earlier 
in the season, very soon after the potato tops were above ground, and by millions. Paris- 
i green, used in the same way, was entirely effectual; but a second brood appeared, which 
was destroyed in the same way, and potatoes are good for this season. Variety, mostly 
Early Rose. Many of my neighbors used Paris-green in the same way with similar re- 
Yol. 11—42 
