American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-08-08
The Chinch-Bug.


PROF. c. V. RILEY, the State En-
tomologist of Missouri, thus, in recent
number of the st. Louis Republicon, cpl
tomizes the information concerning the
chinch-bug:
The chinch-bug Injuries by suction, not
by biting. 1t winters in the perfect
winged state, mostly dormant, princi-
pally in the old rubbish, such as dead
leaves, corn-shucks, corn-stalks and I'M
der weeds and PROSTATE fence-rails and
boards that generally surround grain
situation it can get in adjacent woods ::
hence the importance of fighting the
pest in the winter-time by burning it
with its aforementioned shelter. Such
burning will not destroy all the dormant
hosts, but will practically render
the species Enthusiastically where
whole communities combine to practice
il. 1t issues from its winter quarters
during the first balmy days of spring
when those females which were impreg-
| mated the previous fall, and which are
most apt to survive the winter, COM
mences ovipositing IA once, if suitable
conditions are at hand. Others take
readily 10 wing, and scatter over our
fields, attracted by preference"to grain
growing in loose and dry soil, into which
| they penetrate to consign their eggs.
=.
the young bugs, which are red, remain
underground, sucking the roots during
the early part of their lives, or until they
are forced from necessity TO travel from
one plant to another. These spring
Matched bugs, constituting the first
brood, do not rs Il rule acquire wings
till after wheat is cut. 1t is, there
fore, during and just after wheat har-
vest that they congregate and travel
I
| tract attention. In July, as these
| acquire wings, they scatter over grass,
late grain and corn fields, where they Law
their eggs; but the second brood hatch
| ing from these eggs, attract less atten-
ton and do less injury than did the
| first, because of its more scattered ma
| ture and the greater maturity and re-
sisting power of its food-plants Any
| thing that will prevent the mother bug
from getting at the roots of the grain
| will prevent the injury of her progeny:
hence the importance in this connection
of fall blowing and using the roller upon
| land that is loose and friable and hence,
| If old corn ground is sufficiently clean, it
is good plan to harrow in n crop of small
grain upon it without blowing at all.
The earlier, also, that wheat gets well
started and natures the less it will suffer :;
because it may be harvested before the
Jugs dCpuiIc tHclT greatest growth anu
power for harm; hence, and from the
greater compactness of the ground, winter
wheat suffers less than spring wheat.
Heavy rains are destructive to the
chinch-bug; hence, if such occur in the
fall, the farmer may plant with little fear
of injury the following year. while if thew
occur in spring he need suffer no anxiety,
so far as chinch-bugs are concerned !;
hence, also, where irrigation is practical
bic, the pest may at all times be over
come. 1t Injuries no other plants than
grasses and cereals. In its migration
from field to field it may be checked by
a line of tar poured on the ground, or by
deep burrows or trenches, but the tar
must be kept soft and the surface of the
burrows friable and pulverized.