The Philipsburg mail., 1899-01-13
DESTRUCTIVE PESTS.
Two Insects That Have Troubled
American Farmers.
A Systematic study Has Deem Made OF
the Chinch Bug and the Hessien
Fly-Bulietins by the Cow
ePnment.


eminent.
The two greatest insect pests known
70 the American farmer have been re-
ceiving the careful attention of the di-
vision of entomology of the United
States department of agriculture for
long time. These are the chinch bug
and the Hessian fly. The department
has prepared and is about to publish
two bulletins treating respectively of
the two insects and suggesting possl-
BILE remedies for checking them.
The bulletin on the chinch bug is en-
titled "The Chinch Bug; its probable
origin and diffusion, it's habits and de-
yelopment, natural modes and remedial
and preventive measures, with mention
of the habits of an allied European spe-
cies." The bulletin was prepared under
the direction of the entomologist OF
the department., F. M. Webster, ento-
mologist of the Ohio agricultural ex-
pertinent station. The agricultural de-
partment 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 it's
diseases, in order to assist in 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
| wider area of country with more fatal
effect to the staple grains OF North
America. Ii is widely distributed over
the world and hibernates in the adult
stage. 1t is of gregarious habits and
migrates in spring, summer and au-
tumn. When and where it lays its eggs,
the period of incubation, the different
stages of development, the development
and habits of it's young, annual genera
tions and food plants, are covered by
the bulletin. In addition, it treats OF
the influence of precipitation and tenn
perature on the insect; it's 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 in this country in North
Carolina in 1888, and mentions several
serious outbreaks of the bug in the
west, The estimated losses from its
ravaees from 1850 to 1887 reach $267,
10000. 1t also says that it is believec
that the losses up to 1898 amounted tt
fully $3.50 100000. The bulletin con
tains 10 illustrations, including maps
showing areas infested by the chinct
bug, and the probable course OF its oil
fusion over North America.
The other bulletin is entitled simply
, "The Hessian Fly in the United States.
, It was prepared under the direction
of the departments entomologist b.
. Herbert Osborn, professor of zoolog.
and entomology at the Agricultural col
. lege of Ames, Ia, and contains man.
facts concerning the life, history, foo
, habits and parasitic enemies of thi
| farm pest. The bulletin says that tn
! Hessian fly probably ranks next to tn
= chinch bug as the farm pest in tn
) United States, and that its ravages i
5 other countries have long been know1
It received it's name in the belief tina
it had been introduced into this countr
by the Hessian soldiers during the wa
I of the revolution.
An account of it's original habita
r it's very wide distribution througho'
J. the wheat-growing districts OF EuroI
and America, and it's means OF distrib'
ton are given in the bulletin, with q
!. scriptions of the male and female IL
sccts, the eggs, the larval form and d
yelopment, food plants, natural enemi'
and remedies. The bulletin also col
tains list of all the important pape
On the Hessian fly that have appear'
in America, and such OF the forele
works as are of value to the Amerlci
student. tits illustrated with 'front.'
piece, two plates and eight text figure