Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-05-30
The cHlMcH BUG.


U0e ObJsOO0 0OxSs
syaspsis q Prof SHOWS Pspsr, Rad q .
Recent Kansas Institute.
1t has been stated that the chinch
bug can not exist where the small
grains are not grown; but this is q
mistake. as it feeds upon the wild
grasses. especially the fox tail variety.
1t hibernates in the winged or perfect
condition under all kinds of rubbish.
1t lays two broods in q season, at the
root Of the plant, one in the spring
when warm weather comes and the
second about the time OF wheat har.
vest A single female will lay 500
eggs, and allowing half of these to be
OF the same sex. the number OF the
second brood from this one female
would amount to $4,000. The second
brood does not fly from field to field. but
crawls along the surface of the land.
The first brood frequently destroys the
wheat and Oat crops, and the second
brood the corn crop In some seasons
it has been known to lay third brood.
In that case the product of one female
In one season would be 81, go, 600.
Clean culture is one of the prevent
ives; another is to burn the rub
bish. bugs and all In this way
a very large proportion of the
egg-bearing insects can be de-
stroyed. One female destroyed in the
early spring would prevent the in
crease of $4,000 after the second
brood was Matched, and more than S0.-
600, 900 after the third brood. There
should be concert of action among the
farmers. Isolated individuals can do
but little. All should unite and CO.
operate. By blowing a deep furrow
around the wheat field and keeping
the soil loose in the furrow the second
brood becomes circumscribed and pre-
vented travelling to the next corn
field.
Another remedy is to keep the
plant, whatever it may be, healthy
and vigorous, and it may overbalance
the injury done by the insect A
feeble plant, like feeble individual,
is susceptible of disease, and liable to
suffer from any unfavorable circum-
stances or conditions. 1t has been
claimed by some that salt is pre-
ventive. This is only true so far as it
the plant; it does not de-
stroy the insect in quantities, as ordi-
narily used. To sprinkle tar around
the field will keep them from travelling,
but the tar must be renewed and kept
fresh to be successful. Kerosene will
destroy them, but the remedy would
be too expensive, as it would
cost five dollars per acre. 1t would
take all profits of small crop to pay
for the remedy.
Last season in the months of May
and June the bugs disappeared very
suddenly from the eastern part of the
State, and the injured fields of grain
quickly recovered and produced fine
crops for harvest. This was a surprise
to most people. Disease was the
cause of this sudden taking of. Some
fields fairly reeked with the disease,
and at the close Of the season not q
healthy insect could be found. The in
sect epidemic was not confined to the
chinch bug. 1t prevailed with the
cabbage worms Those cabbages
brought to the Lawrence markets dur
ing the early part Of the season were
badly eaten by the worms As the
season advanced the damage grew less
till finally not live worm nor an in
jured cabbage was to be found. Last
season two kinds of disease were prev
alent with the chinch bug, the one of
fungoid nature and the bacterial-the
lormer attacking the insect from with
put and the latter from within. These
diseases prevailed all over this west
srn country. Eighteen boxes of dis
,ased bugs were sent to Southern Min
1esota. and disseminated. The disease
spread so rapidly that III short time
lot healthy chinch bug could be
'ound.
In conclusion the professor urged
he farmers and fruit growers to unite
n their efforts to exterminate this |
little pest Said he: If
IN army fifty thousand strong should
come from Canada to invade our |
ZONES, every man would shoulder his |
nusket and march to the front No |
'acri6ce would be considered too great |
or the protection of our homes. An
lrmy FIVE hundred times as numerous
nay invade our fields with impunity. |
md all we do is to wait for the good
1ord to help us, while the means are
within our reach to help ourselves.
The saying is as true as trite-that the
ord helps those who help them.
elves. Orange Judd Farmer.
Dealing with Kicking Cow.