The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-08-09
CHINCH BUGS ARE EXPENSIVE.
From 1850 to 1906 They Cost Nine
States $33O,OOO,OOO.
New York SIM.

! Few insects. and certainly no 9TH
CT species Of the natural order to
which this one belongs, have caused
such enormous prcuniary losses as has
the chmch bug.
But for the extreme susceptibility
Of the very young TO destruction by
drcnchm| rains and for the less
though not signicant dcstructiveness
dnrin" rainy seasons of certain
parasitic fungus on both the adults
and young, the practice of raj ing
grain year after year on the same
areas. rs followed in the United Sta
les. would become altogether unpru-
litablr.
The chinch bug is very widely
distributed little beast. found in Eu-
rope, Asia, Africa, North and South
America and some Of the islands Of
the sea.
II hibcrnatcs in the adult stage. so
that when spring comes it is already
grown up and ready TO take up bust
ness at the point where it stopped
| the previous autumn.
In the timothy meadows of north
eastern r..io the United States Gov
crnmrnl agent has witnessed eases
where the chinrh bugs had commenced
operations alun" one side. worked
part way acr"S the field, killing the
timothy rs they advanced, and con-
iim'rd their drprrdations The follow
inc year precisely where they sus-
pended work the autumn before.
In wheat fields the females do not
seem t" f"rSakc their "re~ariouS ha-
hits entirely. as they Il" not scatter
out evenly over the entire field. but
appear 10 locate in colcuic<. and when
The ynun" hatch and BERN to attack
the growing grain their presence is
first disclosed by small Whitening
patches which increase in dimensions
as the young become older and more
numerous.
In the low lying fields, says the re-
J port Of the Department Of Awricul-
turr, these whitening patches more
commonly appear on the back burrows
or on any slight elevations that occur
in the field. But on higher and level
ground the whitening areas are OBJ
served scattered over the entire field
and constantly widening until the
whole field appears to ripen prcma-
turcly and crinklc down.
When the migration is accomplish-
ed by crawling, the females seem to
spread only enough to afford food for
the y"un" until the latter are able to
make their own way from place TO
place. The young remain cluSlc cred on
the plant about which they were
hat,-hrd until this has been drained
of sap. when they make their way,
almost in IL body, t" second plant,
and in this way day after day.
In the spring the chinch bug proba-
bly, fingers about It's winter quarters
until Il Favorable day for migration
occurs. Transfer a typical Indian
summer day to early May, and per
hapS raise the temperature Il few de-
.rcrS. and You have day during
which chlnch bugs may be seen on
the wing. crawling alun" ON fences
"r at rest ON the tops of fence posts
aS if taking observations, and in real.
ity, as the writer has come to believe
to catch the scent Of wheat or corr
fields.
as TO the rava"cs due to this pest
the estimated loss il caused TO crops
from 1880 to 1887 reaches the sum ol
$2G7 100000. If we could have care
FIJI estimates coverin" recent year.
they would undoubtedly swell tn,
amount to considerably in excess o.
$3.50. 900, 900 for the period from lS5t
To 1906. II the indirect losses wcr,
TO be added, the amount would i'm
deed be enormous. During the out
break in Ohio ut least two D rmcr.
become discouraged, and thinking
; that the loss of their crops by the at
tack of chinch bugs would result i,
their financial ruin, in their dcspond
enrN they sought relief in snici,lc.
When we take into considerable,
that the financial losses as above csti
mated have not fallen upon the cn
llre nation. but almost without cycep
tlon upon nine states. Illinois. Iowa
Missouri. Kansas. Nebraska. WiScnn