The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-09-04
A ER 1H WA r lUER AL o
From tie E;lycfclH 4dlecrtiscr.
THE BILL BUG OR CORN BoRER.

THE BILL BUG OR CORN BoRER.
Mr.. EDlron: Perhaps it will not he
amlss to give to your many readers my oh.
servation and experience during this last
spring and summer on the above bug.
noticed some time in tue early part of
the spring, whilst was engaged in sowing
oats, that nearly Or quito all of the old rag
or carrot weeds had holes in them rs though
something had raised III the pclll Of the
stem, had maturcl and come out. The
moro examined the more found it 10 Lc
SO, until at length determined to sec what
insect had inhabited the rag weed during
the last summer. After close watch un-
til about the middle Of May, I discovered
that some of the most forward weeds had
grown TO bc about four inches high when |
discovered that Il small incisiom or panatur
had been made near the bud Of the main
stem; and upon further examination I
found it to contain small yellow egg about
tue size Of Il small mustard seed then
kept 4 close lookout to sec what kind Of
an insect deposited tho egg. I looked
steadily for some time and almost came to
the conclusion that the eggs must be- de-
posilcd in the night time and not in the
day. But, after continued and very
close examination, and when The weeds be-
como more plenty and larger, and tho bugs
more abundant, found them at length ma.
king their incision and also dcposilns the
egg.
For description Of the BiIl Dug ol
Corn Borer, refer your readers 10 TIC Pa
tent Office Report for 1854, where you will
find Senator Evans description.
But sor fear that some of your readers
may not have an opportunity of seeing the
Patent Office Report, will give my dc
scription Of the Bill bug have dscov-
cred.
Tho Bill Dug or Corn Borcr is about five
cigLths of all inch long, and onc.cightl,
around, and Il sixteenth Of an inch in diam
cter, running out rather sharp or nearly so
each way. At the commencement of the
head there runs out long trunk or crook
cd bill, something larger at the end of the
bill than little way from their end. II is
of dark or yellowish color, more yellow
ish than dark. The bug cannot fly, but
when interrupted closes up its legs and
tumblcs 10 the ground, and there lies appa-
rcntiy dead for some time; and when it
finds that it has not been harmed, it rises
and moves of rs though nothing had taken
place.
When the young plant (Corn) comes up,
they attack it about three cighllls of an incll
above the grain, or just about where the
first brace roots come out. They force their
bill into the tender bud of The young corn
and then continue to sap it until it is dead.
l differ with Hon. Senator Evans in regard
to tho purpose Of tho insect making tho in
cison or boring tic young plant. Tho
Senator says it is for the purpose of depos-
itng the egg. But from my observations
during this summer, the insect bores into
the young plant for the express purpose Of
food. Corn is about the first vegetation
that comes up in the spring, consequently
it is the only plant large enough that the
bug can feed upon, and being Of very
juicy nature, affords very fine substance
for the Bill Bug to pierce lis long bill into.
lie sucks thcvcry essence Of life until tho
plant must dwindlo and die. They con-
tinuc their ravagcs until about the first week
in June, at Which time they arc all out of
tho ground, and have concentrated their
forces on the rag weed for tho balance o.
the summer. I observe whilst they arc do
posting their eggs in tho tender stalk Of
the rag weed, you may find them frequently
through the day feeling on tho leaves,
which think is sufficient food for them af-
ter they leave tho corn.
| am of IN opinion that even the rag
weed, when they first como up i'll the spring,
arc not free from their ravages; but the
root being Of very hard, wood-likc nature,
they cannot penetrate it sufficiently 10 de-
stroy it.
The eggs hatch out very small wlitc
worm, grub with blackish or yclIowish
head, and it continues 10 feed OH the ptbv
portion Of the weed until it gets Tho rcqui-
site size for transformation, it is covered over
with a yellow transparent cont and in that
covering is formed the full developed Corn
Bug. When fully matured, it cuts through
this transparent covering, works hole
through the hard stem of tho weed aud is
then ready to generateits species forsthe re-
maindcr Of tile season. have counted,
from ono TO three hundred eggs anti gfubs
in a single rag weed stalk :. and Then ITO
think sofS.hes number Of rag weeds tllat
grow annually in our stubblo fields, to, sny