The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-09-19

siderable damage. Altogether the Sue
cessive plaques of this tiny insect have
caused losses to the farmers Of the
country amounting to over 3O,Ooo,-
900. Such an immense total is suffi-
cient to make this insect occupy q
prominent place in the natural his
tory of the great Northwest. No 9th
er insect of either hemisphere has prob
ably caused quite such immense dam
age, although the Rocky Mountain
locust or Western grasshopper stands
prominently among the most disas-
trous of our insects. In 1874 the
losses incurred by the ravages Of the
locust were estimated at SlG0 900 900.
The chinch bug, unlike the grass
hopper or locust, has not yet lost its
power for evil, and its reappearance in
great numbers may be looked for al
most any yea,; but it would be met
by far more destructive agencies than
in the past, and all the resources of
science would be enlisted in the fight
against it.
The chinch bug is pretty small in
sect to canse so much trouble, and it
is hardly discernible to the naked eye,
but each female lays about 500 eggs
in a season, and the newly hatched in
sects are very active. The tavorlte
diet of the insects is grain, grass, sor-
ghum, broom corn and Indian corn.
Most of the da,nnuc has been done in
the West to sucii crops rs wheat, bar
| lev, rye and corn. The insect has re-
remarkable immunity from attacks by
ordinary enemies. disagrccabie oder
emanating from it which protects it
from many predatory insects which
would otherwise keep down its num-
bcrs. There are a few natural enemies
to the chinch bug, and cntomologists
have made study of different insects
and diseases which tend to destroy the
creature. Efforts have been made to
spread parasitic diseases among the
chinch bugs to destroy them. The
effectiveness of these different methods
is not entirely satisfactory, and science
is still laboring to find some means of
counteracting another plague Of chinch
bugs should it break out in the great
grain growing regions Of the West.
There is at present no abs ,lute assur-
ance that another chnch bug plague
may not visit this country in the near
future. The chief guard against any
such dire visitation is found in the
close watch kept upon the insects in
different parts of the country. AS
soon as there is a slight outbreak in
one section of the West, attention is
called to that region, and every effort
is made to destroy the eggs and larv:e
of the insects before they have had the
opportunity to multiply in great num-
bers. The passing of all these plaques
is due chiefly to this eternal watchful-
ness kept upon the creatures and to
The immediate steps taken to destroy
the eggs and larvae at an early stage.
In this way no great swarms are ever
permitted to get the ascendency.
In the South the greatest insect
plaques have been those which at
tackled the staple farm crop of that
section. Cottons worst enemy has
been the Cotton caterpillar or cotton
worm, and the boil worm. The former
caused annual losses to the cotton in.
dustry in the South of some $4,000
900, and twice in the memory OF mai
the damage amounted to over $50 ,OOO, )
900 in single season. The cotton
caterpillar has always been with the
planters in the South, and periodic
visi,ations occur.-Georye EthelJert
Walsh, IN Scientific american.
II hate to be contradicted," she said.
"Then | won't contradict you," he
returned.
"You don't love me- she asserted.
81 don't" he admitted.
"You re a hateful thing!' she cried.
81 am" he replied.
81 believe you're trying to tease
me- she said.
IL am he conceded.
"And that you do love me
81 do"
For moment she was silent.
SWELL" she said at last, IL do hate a
man who's weak enough to be led by
woman He ought to Lave a mind
of his own-and strength" He sighed.
What else could he do?
"Therc was quite a jolly yachting
party out onr way yesterday" said the
first shark.
Enjoyed themselves, did they?' in
qulred the second ditto.
81 don't know, but we certainly en-