The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-04-28
SALT FOR CHINCH BUGS.

The damage done by the little
pest known as the chinch bug has
been SO great in Wisconsin, Iowa
and southern Minnesota as to dis
courage farmers in great measure
from raising wheat. Various rem
edies have been tried, among 9TH
ers the use of salt. AS millers are
vitality interested in the success OF
the wheat crop we would ask them
to call the attention Of the farmers
who visit their mills to this simple
remedy. From reports of large
number Of farmers who have used
it for several years, the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul railway
company has selected quite num-
Der which it has embodied in a neat
pamphlet for distribution among
the farmers along its lines. We
have received a copy ofthe pamph-
let. From the letters it contains
we reprint the following, whiche ar
no stronger in their statements than
the others. Mr.. Andrew Murdoch,
of Eagle, Wis, says:
The first time | used salt on
wheat was in 1879. For five years
before using it l did not get more
than twelve bushels to the acre,
and that of a very poor quality
In 1879 | got seventeen and a half
bushels, and last year [ threshed
twenty-five bushels to the acre
| have tried salt On both winter and
spring wheat and found it increased
the yield largely. On one spot, on
which no salt was sown, the wheat
rusted badly, and was small in
size, producing about eight bush
els to the acre. The chinch bugs
also troubled my wheat, but where
it was sailed the wheat came up at
least a week earlier, and the bugs
did not reach it. I SOW salt when
the wheat is about three inches up.
| have tried it with beneficial re-
suits on other grains, also on
grounds where clover, timothy and
other small seeds were sown. /
have so much confidence in it that
| do not, and would not, do with
out it, and recommend it highly.
A half barrel to the acre is about
right.
Mr.. James Griffin of the same
place states his experience as fol
lows:
Ihave used salt on my lands fol-
eighteen years and always found il
prevented rust, and destroyed
chinch bugs and many other worms
and insects that do injury to grain
crops. | know it never fails to in
crease the yield and make the graiI
much healthier. 1t brings the
wheat up from one to two week:
earlier, makes the berry larger anc
more solid, and the straw SITTER
1t has saved my crops severa
times, and l have induced my
| neighbors to use it, and they too
have saved their crops. l Away;
| recommend it, and do not know
why any farmer should not use it
Mr.. NJ. L. Tibbets, writing t.
the Bird Island, Mimi, Post, says
For the benefit of call whom i
may concern" | will give my ex
perience" of last year in sailing
| wheat: l spread on about 100 lbs
to the acre, on twenty acres Of Ri(
Grande wheat, from which W,
threshed 333A bushels OF No.
wheat that weighed 60 pounds tt
the bushel an average of 16 II
bushels to the acre. Some ter
| acres of the same variety of wheat
sown a week earlier, but which
| did not salt, yielded little less
than twelve bushels per acre anC
weighed fifty seven pounds to the
bushel. I sailed one acre Of Scotch
Fife, which yielded ten bushels,
| and this was on inferior wheat land
| while the same variety, grown OF
comparatively new land, which wa;
not salted, gave me only abou
seven bushels per acre, while tel
acres of Fife, on unsalted old land
sown alongside the twenty acre
plat ofthe sailed Rio Grande, yield
ed less than five bushels per acre
There were great many chinct
bugs in my wheat, and of course,
did some damage. / could not see
that the salt lessened the ravages
Of the insect, but it did hasten the
ripening of the grain from six tc
eight days. | did not SOW the sail
until after the wheat was coming
49, b,,@ would ,oon,a,>,o,j -o,r.,