The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-08-18

Charles V.sRiley,aState EntomoloSis
OF Missouri, in his annual re port 70
1869, which. we have only just received
has an extended article on the ChincI
bug, (1ffcropses leecoptcrus), from which
we condense the following facts ani
suggestions:
This insect was first discovered, sc
| far as any record shows, in North Car.
DINA, in the time of the American Rev
olution. 1t was fl t scientifically de-
scFibed and named by Thomas Say, il
1881. 1t was known in Hancock Co.
! ILL.,, in 1910, in Missouri as early as 1854
Mr.. Riley thinks it has long existed
! in small numbers in the west but did
not multiply Tapidly until the grains
began to be grown extensively. 1t is
two brooded-perhaps three brOOdcd
in the South. 1t belongs to the Halt
Winged Bug class (HeteropterG) and,
unlike insects of some orders, takes its
food almost without intermissi IN from
| it's birth to its death-being active in
the pu a state--except those tho survive
the autumn, which pass the w -.ser in 8
torpid state, in the perfect or winged
form, under leaves, wood, moss,
punches of grapes, cornstalks, etc, The
females are the most numerous, and 20C
is q low calculation, Mr. Riley thinks,
of the number produced by each. The
eggs are deposited under ground and
the young larve remains under ground
for some time, feeding on the sap OF
the roots of plants. The egg is very
small, white at first, becoming reddish.
The larvae are red. DR.. Sinner es-
Inmates that each female may lay 500
eggs. They hatch in about two weeks,
and become full grown winged insects
in from 40 to 80 days.
1t is well known that wet weather
unfavorably affects the chinch bug.
Very wet seasons almost annihilate
them as has been shown in many cases.
Mr.. Riley thinks it impossible for
them to do any considerable amount
of damage in q wet season. Over this
we have, of course, no control. Among
the other natural enemies of the Chinch
bug, are a considerable number of in
sects that prey upon i5-among them
four species of the LADY birds, lace
wing fly, and the insidious flower bug.
The common quail is also an efficient
destroyer of them.
Among the remedies over which we
have control, Mr.. Riley suggests burn
ing up all rubbish that often accumulates
along fences and all cornstalks, whether
this latter be good farming or not, he
thinks it better than to have the crop
destroyed. Where small patches only
are found infected early in the season,
he recommends carting dry straw to the
spot and burning straw, wheat and bugs.
Where the grain is so badly injured as
not to be worth cutting, it should al
ways pc burned, not only to prevent flu
ture multiplication, but also to keep
the bugs from going to the cornfields.
It is also recommended that small
grain be sown as early as possible, SO
as to let ripe if possible before the
spring brood is fully matured. Fall
blowing and heavy rolling OF spring
plowed land are recommended SO as to
compact the earth and make it more diff
ficult for the insect to enter it to lay
the eggs. Some years since it was rec
commended to SOW u small quantity of
winter rye with the spring wheat, on
which the bugs would feed until too late
to be seriously injurious to the wheat.
The sowing of gas lime broadcast
over the wheat, at the rate of five or
six bushels to the acre, is said to have
been entirely effectual in driving the
bugs away, as was sprinkling gas lime
on corn. Cutting small patches of
wheat in infected fields, leaving the
sheaves on the ground, under which the
bugs would gather, and thus be more
easily destroyed by bnrning, has also
been tried. Different persons have kept
the bugs from theif -ields, where they
were marching after the fashion of army
worms, by setting fence boards edge
wise around the piece so the bugs cam
not get under them nor between the
joints, and ssturating the top with pine
or coal tar, rene wing the application as
often as the tar dries. If holes are dug
in the ground at short distances near
the boards and with q line of tar extern
ding from the boards to the holes, they
will fall into the holes and remain there
until destroyed by burning or other
wise. The remedies suggested in this
last Pc .agraph Mr.. Riley give on the
authority of others.
Mr.. Riley concludes his article with
q description of a number of insects
which are often mistaken for the Chinch
bug, either from their appearance or
because possessed of similar be d-bug
like smell.-WeSteTR Farmer.