The Advocate and news., 1898-11-30
ChInch Bugs.


ChInch Bugs.
The chinch bug is one Of the destruc-
tive pests that did not originate in Kan
sas. It is supposed to have come CEN
turies ago from the tropical regions Of
South America by working its way
northward gradually along the east coast
Of Central America and was snugly To-
Gated in what is now the eastern portion
of the United States long before Colum-
bus discovered America. 1t is first
cousin of the ubiquitous bed-bug which
never was originated but has always ex-
listed and the farmers boy who may
happen to be familiar with both these
insects will readily recognize in both the
characteristic odOr which proves their
kinship The chinch bug has caused
more loss to the farmers Of this coun-
try than any other pest that has invaded
their fields. Estimates carefully made
show that loss Of crops from the raw
ages of chinch bugs in this country ag-
gegate the enormous sum Of $3.50 900 900.
I'm the year 1874 alone the loss was not
less than $100,00O,000. In 1854 and 1866
1t amounted to $75000,000, and in 1887
to $50 100000. They are the worst in
wheat-growing regions and in dry sea-
sons More than thirty years ago the
farmers in southern Wisconsin had to
abandon wheat and turn their fields into
meadows and pastures to avoid destruc-
tion by chinch bugs. Each female chinch
bug in early spring will lay 500 eggs, and
in sixty days these will have Matched
and grown to maturity. In the fall they
will hide away In rubbish piles, corn
stalks, dead grass, weeds and straw
where they will remain until spring,
when they will beat the silver issue by
multiplying five hundred to one female
and Immediately begin their work Of de-
structlOn. Prudence would dictate that
all old grass, weeds and rubbish where
there are any signs Of chinch bugs,
should be burned in the spring before the
bugs begin to travel. While this vile
bug did not originate in Kansas, yet to
this State belongs the credit OF pro-
nouncing It's death sentence. Chancellor
Snow of the State University reasoned
out the theory that this terrible foe OF
the farmers must also have some enemy
which II given fair chance In the open
field Of battle would vanQuish the chinch
bug horde By careful experimenting for
several years he succeeded In developing
parasitic fungi by which he could infect
healthy chinch bugs with fatal malady
and thus destroy them by wholesale. At
first scientists laughed and sneered at
this new idea but Prof Snow kept at
work and widely advertised free ex-
change of sick bugs for well ones which
were at once inOculated with the con-
tagion and sent out again to be scattered
in the infested fields, and whenever
sick bug would rub up against we'll one
fora little sympathy and consolation ne
would give the fatal disease to his neigh
bor and thus the entire gregarious horde
would be exterminated. The practical
results of Prof. Shows discovery are
now generally admitted and the national
'Department Of Agriculture recommends
the establishment of stations for the
Dropagation and distribution Of this dis
ease fungus in the best form for most
effective use. BY watching the dry sea-
sons and studying carefully the infested
localities the destructive virus can be
distributed and used so as to anticipate
the rayages of the chinCh bugs and mil
lions of dollars be saved to the farmers
Of this country. Thus Kansas, through
the Chancellor Of her University, has
buiIded a monument for the benefit Of
agriculture which is more beneficial than
any monolith, however high.