The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-06-14
The Chinch Bug.
We draw the following practical cor

we uraw the following practical COP
illusions
LIST. That it is useless to attempt to
raise spring wheat or barley where
chinch bugs have been present in any
considerable number the prece ling
year, unless we have reason to believe
that they have been killed off by heavy
rains i'm the breeding reason.
81. That in case the seasons should
continue to be favorable to the propa-
cation of the chinch.bug, we have it
always in our power TO get rid of these
pests by the abandonment of these two
kinds of grain, for one or two years.
But TO make this course effective, there
must be a concert of action by farmers
over considerable section .f coantry.
Sd. That the presence of chinch-bugs
the preceding year will not prevent the
raising of corn or any of the winter
grains.
4th. With regard to oats, the testi-
mony thus far is that if this grain be
sown where chinch-bugs abound, and
especially if it be sown exclusively, it
will be damaged TO a greater or less
extent the first year, but that the
bugs probably will not continue to
breed in it to any great extent in sue
ceeding years.
OTHER PROPOSED REMEDIES.
1t may be proper, before closing, to
advert briefly to a few of the more
plausible remedies for the chinch- bug,
which have been suggested.
1t has been proposed to burn over
the infested and ruined grain fields just
before the time for the bugs to leave
them, with the view of destroying the
bugs and thus preventing their migra-
ton into the corn. This is a good sug-
gestion, provided the grain is dry
enough to burn before the bugs leave
it; and also provided it will burn low
enough to kill the bugs, which in
this case would all drop to the
ground. The plan would be most
likely to succeed by the aid of dry
straw, and favorable conditions of wind
and drought.
Another plan which has been pro-
posed, is to SOW small proportion of
winter rye Zone bushel to twelve) with
the spring wheat, with the expectation
that the bugs would feed upon the
green rye near the GROUND, while the
more rapidly growing wheat would rise
| above it and come to maturity. This
suggestion is founded upon the mista-
ken notion that chinch. bugs feed upon
the green blades of the grain, whereas
they imbibe their nutriment. first from
the roots, and afterwards from the lower
joints of the stalk.
The well .attested fact that chinch-
bugs are checked in their operations by
rain, induced DR.. Fitch to advise the
sprinkling of wheat tields--or at least
those parts Of them where the bugs first
make their appearance-withw water, by
means OF garden engine, or some
other continuance. This would be an
interesting experiment where the field
is very small and the supply of water
abundant and we presume the Doctor
would hardly recommend this plan as
practicable on the forty thousand square
miles of territory overrun this year by
chinch bugs, at the West.
All attempts to check the depreda-
tons of chinch.bugs, by throwing often
sive substances upon them, such as tar
red saw dust, salt or lime, have proved
to be labor lost. The recommendation
of the salt application had the run OF
the newspapers the past season. Both
this ..and the air-slaked lime were thor
oughly tried by Mr.. Sells, of Blooming
ton, without making any perceptible
impression upon the bugs.-Dr. lie.
Barons Report.