The Future Of The Potato Crop

Will the beette destroy Une patato erop and malee the grontth of this important ocliblo eitber imposible or greaüy rcstricted ï We givo a docided Ño to both Uiese queslions, froquently asked of ns persomlly, and almost evory day suggssted by tho fcars of onr excliangos. The potato is far too important a erop to be stamped out of existenoo by tho bectle. Intelligent and entorprisiug farmers would find mcaus of growing potatoefl enouglt, i'or general uro wero tlie dillioullies four-fold what tliey are. Possibly Die prioe of potatoos might lx; i doubled, or oyen trebled, but the ti.se of the vcgetiiblc would not be discoutinued, and its production would be more profitable tlmn ever bef ore. Potatoes have ahvays been too easily grown. 3taC6 the prieo has been low, and the farmer has not had fair pay i'or the hard work j whieh handling a potato erop implies. Hencoiorth, by doing somc additional light work in destroying potato beetles, by planting on better aoil aud giving better culture, the erop will be largor, i the prico botter, and tho reeeipts pcrhaps ttcblcd, at a slight additioual eost per aere. The potato beetle will, without, doubt, mercase the priee of potatoes Bomewhat, aud in this tho consumer nutst sulïer; hut farmers who know how ! to deal with the enemy can and will mako more money f rom potatoes than ever beiore. Tlip potato is henceforth I transferred to the list of erops not oasily ! grown, and therefore always most proritable. It is skill and patienee whichbest pay in farming, and not brute Ktrength, and Ihese are what potato culture needs. So long as it was a Ijusiness that rnainly eni])loyed istrong arms and backs in diggiüg and seeuiing lbo erop, potato growiug was not a very iuviting oceupation, however proiitable. Now, by tho ■ porfecttug of macliineü for planting and diggiug potatoes, the manual labor has Kvii roduc.ed 50 por cent. It is now a nttébfién of moral and intclleetual qualifiéi, and only thoso farmers will suoeeed who are able to see what is nceded and have the paticnoe and perseverance to do it. In less words, potato growing is to be in fewer hands until a largor proportion of American farmers are more thorougli and succtissful in their business. The potato beetle, in common with most insect enemics, will prove a blessing in disgui.se to American farmers. Muny of t!u-m ruay not sce this now, but ie or twenty years heneo they will. The m;dge in wheat compelled fai'mers to prepare their gronnd better, to put iu aéeiï more cariifully, and to manure botter than evrr beföre; and we boliovo the prtato beetle will ultimately have as good Dte effect on growers of tho potato. Tl' iv is faéitHei reason nor religión in L s!"ii(icncy. Keason and experience I teil tía that when any insect becomes too numeróos Romething is spnt to check it, and we are told in the good book that, while the enrth endureth summer and Í winter, Reed timo and harvest shall not f a