Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-06-14

Please answer II there is any way to
get rid Of the "chnch-bug' that IS so
destructive TO wheat. corn, and oats, and
oblige, .o..,.,,
Yours. j. H. SIONbh'
Sherwood, Va.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
We are overrun with the chinch-bug IN
this section: the wheat crop IN many IN
stances being entirely destroyed. i nave
seen something about turning loose the
diseased bug in the fields TO eradicate
them. Please tell how to obtain them
Yours frulv. r. RUSSELL
Abbeyvllle, Va.
We quote from publications Of the
United state Department Of Agriculture:
The western experiments I'm the way OF
artificial propagation and dissemination
Of chinch-bug diseases have not resulted
as favorably as was at first expected
In fact. with favorable weather, the
chinch-bugs will work. whether the dis-
eased bugs have been spread among tnehh
or not: while, If unfavorable, the disease
will appear apparently spontaneously
among bugs which have not been brought
into contact with diseased bugs from the
laboratories. In other words. wnen We
most need the remedy Il will not work.
and when we do not need it It will work
II results from this that we are thrown
back upon the old remedies
Yours truly, j.. o. HOW AhD'
Entomologist
Grom Bulletin No. ~
A great deal can be done in the way or
destroying the insects at the time when
they migrate from the wheat-felds. 20
wards the close OF the first generation,
to corn. and other neighboring crops.
DITCHING.-As long ago as lie Ba-
ron's first paper and as Fitch's second
report the method Of digging a ditch or
ploughing a furrow around the infested
field was in vogue. If ploughed furrow
be made. the perpendicular side should
be towards the field to be protected, and
the earth should be kept friable by drag
ging q log or brush occasionally through
Il: or. better still, triangular, weighted
trough The migrating bugs will fail 10
climb the side OF the furrow, and will fall
back into IL, where they can be covered
with straw and burned. With care and
activity. the neighboring fields can be thus
protected.
TARRED BOARDS OR TAR ALONE
The plan has been adopted, and IS recon-
mended in the reports Of Professor Riley
and others of using common fence-boards
six inches wide or less }, setting them
upon edge and making a barrier of the
around the infested fields. care being
taken to cover the lower edge. so that
the bugs Will not crawl under them. The
upper edge is spread with fresh tar, which
Is occasionally renewed. Vast numbers
are taken out from holes dug at in
tervals on the hitherside of the barrier.
in which the marching armies collect.
Commenting upon this remedy, Professor
Riley says: "With a little care 10 keep
the tar moist by renewal, the boards nay
be dispensed with, and the tar poured
out of a kettle onto the ground: about a
gallon IS required 20 the rod and II
should be renewed every other day,
oftoner when rains prevail, until the bugs
are destroyed" According TO DR.. lie
Baron, this method was extensively used
I'm the central part OF Illinois and espe-
cally I'm the vicinity OF the Bloomington
gas-works in 1872. He saw the opera
ton performed near Bloomington where
the tar was poured from an old tea
Kettle on the ground along the exposed
sides OF a corn-held. This remedy, how
ever. will seldom be used, on account of
its expense, except in such situations
as that mentioned. where the tar can be
readily and cheaply procured.
SOWING STRIPS or PLANTS DIS
TASTEFUL TO THE BUGS AROUND
THE FIELDS TO BE PROTECTED
This remedy has been urged by certain
authors and the crops TO be used as bar
riers are preferably fax. hemp. clover
and buckwheat. The effect Of this will
he TO deter and destroy the migrating in
dividuals. and cause the death of the
young ones by starvation. 1t s.. how
ever not a thorough remedy, and is not
TO be compared with the more direct
remedies, which caused the almost COM
plete destruction OF the insect.
SOWING STRIPS OF FAVORED FOOD
AROUND THE FIELDS TO BE PRO
TECTED.-A strip Of timothy Hungarian
grass. or millet may be sOwn around the
corn-field to good advantage, with the
object Of entrapping the migrating bugs
by ploughing it under and burning the
ground over when IL has become filed
with the migrating, armies i'm transit
The bugs of the first generation which
are full grown. will lay their eggs by
preference in this protective strip. and
these will be destroyed by the ploughing
and burning.
HOT WATER AND SOAP-SUDS. The
application of strong soap-suds 10 the
insects when gathered upon the outer
rows Of corn was recommended by
writer in the Southern Planter many
years ago. and was also given by Dr..
Fitch. Statement is made that a half
gill or a gill poured upon each stalk will
kill them all. and that the labor Is not
half so great as z single hoeing OF the
crop. Hot water has been recommended
for similar purpose by subsequent
writers
KEROSENE EMULSION.-A new and.
under certain circumstances. very eff
cacious remedy for the chinch-bug was
introduced when Professor Riley, In 1SS2,
first suggested 10 Professor Forbes the
advisabiity OF experimenting with this
substance upon this insect. Professor
Forbes's first experiments were reported
to this division and the results were pub
lished in Bulletin No. February $3.50,
pages % 20 %. The following solutions
We're used in these experiments
Solutions with which dilutions were
made: % Soap-suds. l pound soap to
10 gallons water; CD soap-suds, l pound
soap TO % gallons water; CO. potash, !
pound TO 50 gallons water.
EMULSIONS AS DILUTED.
Per cent. of
kerosene.
A. . parts Of kerosene. / part milk.
45 parts water (abouO ...............A
Il. ! part kerosene. / part milk. IS
pats water ........ ....................
c. l pant kerosene. : part milk. Is
parts solution 1........................5
ID. J part kerosene, l part milk, IS
parts solution 2 .......................2 ia
l.. ! part kerosene, l part milk. IS
parts Natcr OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. "a
L. l part kerosene. part milk, IS
parts solution ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 2
G. part kerosene. part milk. 50
parts solution 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
All OF these were oficacious. Fortu-
nately, at the time when such applica-
tion IL 20 be made--viz Just after wheat
ha ryest-- helm Is abundant and the work