The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-15

spite of every precaution some will
escape, but the greater portion will be
destroyed. All the farmers in an in
tested district must act in concert. If
the season has been wet one, examin-
alton in the fall will be necessary, but if
it has been dry, diligent search should
be made for these pests before cold
weather, and in and around every field
where found each hiding-place should
be subjected to fiery ordeal.
When the enemy is in sufficient num-
bers to do serious injury or excite APP
prehension of danger the next season,
Prof. Thomas suggests the propriety OF
adopting the Southern plan of topping
the corn. This will cause the grain to
harden more rapidly and the stalk to
dry sooner, so that the crop can be
gathered at an early day and the stalks
be cut and raked into windrows and
burned before the bugs have left them
in search of hiding-places. Prof Riley
recommends that shocks be made at in
tervals to attract the bugs and burned as
soon as a goodly army have congregated
therein. This plan may be practiced to
advantage in wheat fields when at the
time of harvest the bugs have not taken
their departure. If the wheat is at once
threshed and the straw scattered over
the stubble and burned, all or most of
the bugs that are there will be de-
stroyed.
The practice of blowing land for
spring grain the preceding autumn, or,
if plowed in the spring, rolling it re-
peatedly with heavy roller after seed
ing, is thought by Prof. Riley to possess
advantages for fields pervaded by
chinch-bug. The female bug has to
work her way underground in the spring
of the year in order to get at the roots
upon which she lays her eggs, and the
looser the soil at this season the greater
the facilities which are offered for the
operation.
Among numerous devices resorted to
for the protection of the corn crop is
that of stopping the process of the sum-
mer brood by blowing a narrow strip
around the field, keeping it well pulver-
lied by narrowing and rolling, then
blowing one or two burrows in this
dusty strip. This should be done every
day or two, care being taken that this
strip is kept thoroughly pulverized, as
the bugs can not travel well through
dust. Ditching is sometimes resorted to
in this case the sides of the ditch next to
the field should be perpendicular, and
rendered dusty by dragging.
Clean farming when adopted as q
rule tends largely towards preventing
the increase not only of chinch-bugs but
of all other injurious insects that trouble
the farmer. One of the best methods Of
preventing their increase is, according
to the evidence of all who have investi.
gated the matter-Professor Thomas
included-diversifed farming. The au,
thority in question says that massing
crops in immense bodies and cultivatine
the same thing year after year on the
same ground, as is so often done, neces
sarily tends to increase the insects thai
feed on these crops. Anincrease in one
locality of any one plant brings pro
portional increase of its insect enemies
as direct effect, and these are in
creased in geometrical ratio if the
plant is allowed to occupy the same 10
cality for number of seasons in sue
cession.-N. Y. World.