THE WAUPACA POST

August 9, 1894

 

A NEW POTATO BUG DESTROYER

 

            E.R. Banton, a prominent farmer of North Bloomer, had an experience last year that is worth relating. He had a field of 7 or 8 acres of potatoes on which the bugs got very numerous, and he at once made arrangements to treat them with Paris green, but it was a day or two before he could get to them. In the meantime the sheep had gotten into the field and were there about a day before they were found and turned out.  They commented putting on the bug poison. After a little they noticed that there were no bugs and called a halt. 

            On investigating they found that not a bug was to be found anywhere.  There were the bare stalks where they had been, also the eggs, but not a bug.  It was also noticed that the sheep had picked out every weed and spear of grass but had not touched the potato vine.  Finding the bugs they stopped work.  After sufficient time to hatch the eggs had elapsed it was found that the vines were again covered with bugs.  Taking a hint from his former observations Mr. Banton turned his sheep in again and left them two or three days when every vestige of the bug pest disappeared for the season.  Again every weed and blade of grass was taken out by the sheep, but not a potato vine molested.  Mr. Banton is confident that the sheep dispensed with the bugs in some way, but he is not certain how.  He has his last year’s supply of Paris green on hand now and expects to keep it, as he will try the sheep again this season. – Stanton (Mich.) Clipper.

            Percy Logan furnishes additional information regarding sheep as a potato bug destroyer.  He has a pet sheep and on reading the above article on the subject a short time ago determined to try it. On taking the sheep into the potato patch he was surprised to see it go for the bugs and eat them with as much avidity as it would corn.  Percy says that, from watching the operations of this sheep, he is fully …