The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-07-04
CATCHING KANSAS cn1soH BUes.
Traps Into Which They Tumble Like
 Grain Going Into Hopper.

Traps Into Which They Tumble Like
 Grain Going Into Hopper.
 [From the Kansas City Journa.l
 Burlington, Kan, June 22.-To-day I
 went out with MT. Kent to witness a
 method of destroying chinch bugs in
 practice on one of his farms, three
 miles east of town. His tenant, Leo
 Applegate, has saved sixty-f1ve acres of
 splendid corn from the ravages of the
 chinch bug by a very simple and mex
 pensive expedfent, which, although not
 new, is certainly success when done
 in the thorough and watchful manner
 in which he is doing it.
 On the east of this cornfield and sepa- rated from 1t by a sixteen foot lane, was wheat field of forty-six acres, cut ten days ago. Two or three days be- fore cutting he mixed salt and coal oil in vessel, putting from one-half to one pint of coal oil to one-half bushel of salt. He then made line with this salt the whole width of the corn-field minety rods), through the center of the sixteen-foot lane. This line of salt is about three inches wide at the base. He then bored holes with a post auger about three rods apart-holes about eight inches to a foot deep. He rtmmed the top of each hole with knife, leav- ing the mouth of the hole funnel-shaped and smooth. As soon as the wheat was cut he poured about one quart of water in each hole and a small quantity of coal oil on it. The holes are on the side next the wheat field and close to the salt line.
 The battle had been going on about ten days. We arrived on the field about two p. m. and walked down the \ line. All was quiet and only few { chinch bugs to be seen near the line, 1 but he said they would probably move 1 on his works soon. By the side of each pole was a large pile of dead bugs that i looked like huge piles of ground coffee. 1 These he had dipped out from time to time with a tin cup. believe under estimate the amount when I say there are ten heaping bushels of dead chinch bugs on that line to-day.
 l In half an hour from our arrival they l commenced to come in from the weeds and stubble, and in five minutes the i I soon as they reach the salt line they l follow it each way until they come to l the holes. when they tumble in by the 1 thousands. They don't crawl in the holes, but as soon as they strike the 1 smooth surface at the top they loose l their first hold and roll over and, as ! there is constant pressure by the l enormous line toward the hole, they 1 look like wheat going into a hopper as 1 they are poured over the brink.
 l This run lasted only about twenty minutes, when they disappeared as suddenly as they came, all going back | to the weeds and stubble. It is certain
 ly remarkable sight, and one has only l to witness 1t to become convinced that it Is an absolute preventive, if properly | attended to. If done in a ''slipshod' ! manner, as many will do it, 1t will be a | partial, if not total failure. After the line is made boy or man should be
 there all the time, occasionally little | coal oil should be polxN1 on the line, | probably once day, and the line re- l made after each rain. The mouth of | the hole should be kept smooth. If dry I and cracked, sprinkle a handful of dust | around the edge occasionally-they l can't cling to the dust, and tumble in as l soon as they touch it The holes should be stirred occasionally with a stick and rubbed around the sides. See that the