The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-03-07

THE CHlNCh BUG. q
Prof. Lugger Thinks the Pest Will
Appear This Year.
Bulletin No. 81 of the State Expert
ment Station, has just been issued.
1t comes from the chronological d.
vision and treats on the :chinch bug
exclusively. 1t is by Prof. Otto Lug
ger, and that gentleman brings out
many points of interest to the farm
ers in this section of the State, rartic-
larly in this county, as it is we'll
known that the bug in it's western
travels touched the east line of Red
wood county last fall before the wealth
or put stop to it's depredations. The
report is published by this paper in
different parts, the first fpart being
given as follows:
There can be no reasonable doubt
thst this pest will greatly injure our
crops of cereals in 1896. During the
last year these insects have become
very numerous aud have migrated to
many parts of the State where form
cry they could not be found. As
thess insects use their wings much
mora fsaely when leaving their hiber-
mating quarters in the spring, the
probability exists that still greater
part of the State will be invaded. At
present they are found in nearly all
the more wooded districts of the
southern and central parts Of Mime
sofa, and only the open prairies have
escaped. In the northern part of the
State they have Invaded many por-
tons of Otter Tail, Wadena, Crow
Wing and Pine counties, and are
found, perhaps only in exceptional
cases, even in the pine regions still
farther north. In fact, they were
found upon several farms near the
shore of Vermilion Lake, where the
only agricultural products we're pota-
toes and little timothy. In one case
a patch of timothy surrounded by ev-
ergreen trees was utterly ruined by
them, and close questioning brought
out the fact that chinch-bugs had
been causing similar damage to the
same patch for at least three seasons,
thus plainly proving that this insect
can survive even exceedingly cold win
ters without being much injured. As
far as our prairies are commemorative
adjoining the wooded banks of rivers
and lakes are more or less infested
with thisIpest; and as the windbreaks
offer excellent shelter for it during
the winter, there is danger that the
chinch-bugs will invade a steadily en-
larged territory.
The past history of the chinch-bug
teaches us that it's increase and de-
crease may be compared with ocean
waves striking a shore; at first a gen.
tie swell, then a small wave, followed
by tremendous breaker. In other
words it takes number of years be-
fore the insects become numerous
enough to cause immense losses. Like
the sudden collapse of the breaker,
ehinch-bugs. having reached the peri
cd of greatest destructiyeness, also
become suddenly reduced in numbers
and are past doing harm for number
of years. This forecast would be a
very pleasant one if the bugs in Min
nesota had already reached the cul-
minatiop point Of their increase, which
unhappily is not the case,and we may
reasonably expect increasing trouble
for at least two years. Past expert
ence has shown that we may expect at
most two chinch-bug years in every
seven years, with the strong probable
ity that there will not be two in sue
cession; it is only pity that this rule
should never have exceptions, which,
however it has. At all events, such
experience ought to warn us to be al
ways prepared for the enemy and to
apply remedies in time and not wait
until too late.
The cause for this rapid increase in
their numbers was evidently the ex-
ceedingly dry and warm season of
1894. Even the oldest inhabitant of
the State does not recollect season
like the past one, which is singular
fact considering how apt some wise