84 
STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
As to vjirieties, the Canada Club, which for some years pretty 
much occupied the ground, has, in part, given place to others. 
So long as present high prices ($1.75 to $2.00, and over, per 
bushel) continue, there is certainly profit in the business for 
such as understand and regard the conditions of its successful 
production, and less prospect than ever of getting the great 
mass of our farmers out of the old beaten track. 
Of the other cereal crops nothing special need be said, as 
their cultivation has been in no very remarkable manner dis¬ 
turbed, and they each relatively hold their accustomed places 
in the agriculture of the State. 
THE POTATO 
Has not been so fortunate. For, although it has pretty well 
escaped the rot^ early in the summer of 1866 (and perhaps 
during the year previous, in some sections), there appeared 
great numbers of the Dorypliora dicemlineata^ now familiarly 
known as the “ potato-bug,” and commenced so vigorous a de¬ 
struction of the vines as to occasion serious alarm. This in¬ 
sect is familiarly known to our people as of a dark-brown, when 
young, but handsomely striped with yellowish-white when full 
grown, and as preying upon the leaves of the potato with so 
much vigor as, in a few days, if unmolested, to leave the crop 
above ground a shrivelled, blackened remnant of half con¬ 
sumed stalks. Of course the young and tender tuber, though 
untouched by the insect, is about as effectually disposed of as if 
literally eaten up. 
The belief is prevalent that this insect first appeared in the 
far West, and steadily makes its way eastward. As yet no 
easily applied remedy has been discovered—nothing better 
than to go though the field once or twice a day and pick them 
off; a task which, though tedious, is not difficult, as being a 
half inch in length, they are easily seen, and no less easily cap¬ 
tured, owing to their sluggish habit and but imperfect use of 
their wings. How long they vdll continue their destructive at¬ 
tacks upon successive crops, ho one assumes to predict. 
