Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-08-04
TIE CHINCH BUG.
ALARM CAUSED BY 1T TO ILL
N0IS FARMERS.
a Determined Movement 10 Exter-
inmate the Pest-No Grain to
be Sown-Etc.
[From the prairle Farmer

The serious inroads of the myriad O.
chinch bugs in Southern Illinois ha.
aroused determined effort to destroy the
pest. A mass meeting of the farmers of
Crawford county was held July 18th, to
consider the methods of protecting their
crops against the chinch bug. A report
was delivered by the State Entomologist,
Professor S. A. Forbes, on "The Relations
of Wheat Culture to Chinch Bugs in Hi
nois," after which the following resolutions
were adopted:
Resotred, That we, the farmers of Crawford
county, in mass meeting assembled, do hereby
promise and agree with each other that we will
not raise as crops on our lands in this county
any wheat, barley, or rye, for the next three
wears; and that we will use our influence in our
nelghborhoods, i'll every way practicable, to
prevent the raising of these crops by others.
RcSotted, That we Will use every reasonable
and safe opportunity to burn over in fall OF
winter, all headlands, thickets and woodlands,
and to destroy all waste aud rubbish which can
afford a winter harborage for the chlneh-bug
Resoired. That we intend to practice and earn
estly recommend the heavy fertilization of all
ground devoted TO crops especially liable to in
jury by the chinch bug.
ResOlred That since II has now been proven
that under existing conditions all the cultivated
grasses may be badly damaged by the chineh-
bug in spring and early summer clover is en-
tirely free from liability to such injury, we earn
estiy advise the sowing of clover for forage in
stead of the grasses.
Reso,red That we advise that especial atten-
tion be paid during the coming season TO such
crops as the chinch-bug does not attack.
Resolred That we suggest as q most promising
and important experiment the sowing of plots
of wheat or rye TO be plowed up and killed late
in May or early In June, ard to be followed with
millet or Hungarian; this is to be plowed IN in
turn when well soaked with the eggs and young
of the second brood OF the chinch-bug
Measures were also taken to hold SINH
lar meetings in the various towns and dis
tricts in the country with view to MAX
ing this action general.
The farmers of Madison met on the 2lst
and passed resolution obligating them
selves not TO SOW any wheat, rye or cheat
for a term of two years, or to allow any
sown on any land which they may control,
and TO use every available means TO de-
stroy chinch-bugs.
The prominence Of this subject sug-
gests giving more extended list Of reme-
dies for its destruction in midsummer
The chinch-bug is essentially Il dry-weath-
er insect, and Its occurrence in destructive
numbers at the present time is probably
last two or three seasons.
The ehinch-bug is largely developed in
the wheat fields, and when the wheat is
harvested the bugs are usually only par
TALLY grown, having no wings, and consc-
quently only able to migrate ON foot This
they will do,and as soon as the food supply
in the wheat fields isexhausted, the fields Of
corn and oats adjacent will be invaded.
1t is these latter that it is especially de
sirable to save at this time.
Flowing the infested wheat fields as soon
as the wheat is cut, and before the bugs
have left them, or if the field is too large
to be wholly plowed, most of the bugs may
be prevented from leaving it if rod or
two along the borders is plowed and then
narrowed occasionally, to make it friable.
Before the bugs leave it great numbers of
them will be destroyed. To do this, it is
often necessary to give the field light
coating of straw.
Pour coal tar along the border of fields
liable TO invasion, and the bugs will not
cross the line thus made so long as it is
fresh, but will wander up and down be-
side it, and may be trapped in holes dug at
convenient distances. The ground should
be smooth and hard, and the tar may be
conveniently poured from the spout Of an
old watering-can.
The bugs may be destroyed when they
are on the outer rows of corn, by applying
kerosene emulsion by means of watering
pot with a rose nozzle, or any of the insect
icide spray pumps now on the market.
Trapping in burrows Professor Riley de-
scribes rs follows: "The earth should be
thrown away from the protected field, and
the furrow not allowed to settle and
harden, but be kept friable or dusty by
dragging log or stone, or bundle of
brush along it each morning. The drag
they should be either trapped or destroyed
in pits, or burned by strewing straw each
morning on the invaded side of the fur
row, and burning the same each evening.