Daily camera., 1899-01-18
DESTRUCTIVE PESTS.
d I've Insects eas'.ill That Hl.7ye Hay Troubled
American Farmers.
A Systematic study Has Been AaAs Of
de Chinsh Bug and the HsssiAn
Cly-B.listinsl by the Gov
eRAment.

The two greatest insect pests known
70 the American farmer have been re-
ceiving the careful attention of the d.
vision OF entomology of the. Unite
States department of agriculture fc
a long time. These are the chiuch bu
and the Hessiam fly. The departmen
has prepared and is about ito sppblis
two bulletins treating respectively
the two insects and suggesting poss.
BILE remedies for checking them.
The bulletin on the chinch bug is en-
titled The Chinch Bug; its probabl
origin and diffusion, it's habits and de
velopment, natural modes and remedia
and preventive measures, with mention
of the habits of an allied European spe
cies." The bulletin was prepared under
the direction of the entomologist o:
the department. F. NJ. Webster, .ento
lnologist of the Ohio agricultural ex.
pertinent station. The agricultural de.
partlnent has received many requests
for information about the chinch bug,
and the bulletin is intended to meet
this demand. 1t gives many new facts
concerning the life, history and dis
tribution of the species, and the whole
subject of the practical handling Of its
diseases, in order TO assist ips it's de-
struction, is treated at length. 1t says
that few insects have caused such Pc
cuniary losses, and that no other insect
native to the western hemisphere has
spread it's devastating hordes over a
wider area of country with more fatal
effect to the staple grains of North
America. tbs widely distributed over
the world and hibernates in the adult
stage. 1t is of gregarious habits and
nigrates in spring, summer and au-
tumn. When and where it lays its eggs,
the period Of incubation the different
stages Of developments the development
and habits Of its young gsannual genera
tions and food plants. are covered by
the bulletin. 1nS addition, it treats OF
the influence of precipitation and tenn.
perature ON the insect; its natural ene-
mics; remedial and preventive meas
ures, and describes the true and false
chinch bugs.
The bulletin says that it would ap-
pear that this pest first made its pres;
ence known i'm this country in North
Carolina in 1854, and mentions several
serious outbreaks of the bug in the
west. The estimated losses from its
ravages from 1850 to 1857 reach $685..
100000. 1t also says that it is believed
that the losses up to 1898 amounted to
fully $330,OO0,OOO. The bulletin con-
tains 10 illustrations, including maps.
showing areas infested by the chinch
mug, and the probable course of it's diff
fusion. over North America.
The other bulletin is entitled simply,
"The Hessian Fly in the United States"
1t was prepared under the direction
of the departments entomologist by,
Herbert Osborn, professor of zoology
and entomology at the Agricultural col
iege of Ames. sIs., and contains many
facts concerning the life, history, food
habits and parasitic enemies Of this
farm pest. The hulletin says that the
Hessian fly probably ranks next to the
chinch hug as the farm pest in the
EAited States, and that its ravages in
other countries have long been known.
It received it's name in The belief that
10 Had been intro1uceddhto thiscountry
by the Hessian soldiers during the war
Of the revolution.
An account of its original habitat.
its very wide distribution throughout
the M6eat- growing hisdr lets Of Ersoae
=. !. y - y y. 3