The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-08-09

TO INC a2flcUlturlSt OF these states.
In fact. small rs it is, this pest has
cost the people of these nine states a
sum of money which, few years ago,
would have betrayed the entire cx-
pense Of the national government for
a whole year. Fire excepted, there is
probably no other factor that mas
caused an enormous financial loss
within the same period over the same
area Of country.
This being the ease it is not sur
prising that the Department of Agri-
culture has made the most search
ing investigation into means of des-
troying the chinch bug. It's natural
enemies are frequent rains during the
Matching seasons in May and August
certain parasitic fungi, the quail and
to limited extent certain other
birds and The frog.
The destructive fungi have been the
subject of much experimenting. One
III particular. the Sporotrichum, is
now 'raiscd' artiiicially and dis,ri-
butcd to farmers. The government
agents visited places where this fun
gus was sent and found that the effect
was unmistakablc. Going to the
place in field (ycncrally a whca,
irld) when the fungus had been in
troduced the track Of the chinch bu.S
as they moved in any direction was
III many cases almost literally paved
with the dead bugs more or less en-
vcloped in their winding sheets Of
white.
Alon" ravincs, dead burrows or
other LcprcSSions the ground would
be nearly white. the dead diminishin.
III nUmbcrS is the higher grounds
were reached. though these were bv
no means free from corpses. In one
instance the bugs had left field of
wheat at harvest. the $porotrichum
havin" been applied there before the
movement began, and entered an ad-
joining cormficld.
The way was marked with white,
not onl J.: the surface Of the ground,
but rn stirring up the mellow soil of
the edge Of the cornfcld it was found
To be literally full of dead chinch
bugs t" the depth of two or three in
cheS. the white fungus covered bodies
strongly contrasting" with the black
color Of the rich roam. Not only this.
but under the shcaths Of the leaves
and on the leaves themselves hum
dredS of dead were to be found on
the outer rows of corn. on the grass
and weeds. and indeed almost every
where. Millions Of chinch bugs were
certainly destroyed in this one field.
The dread which the chinch but
inspires may be inferred from the ma
turr "l The various schemes for check
III" his mad career. One of these be-
GINS with the maxim" Of smooth
Il; ia "lon" tie mar"ir cf an infested
field where such Il one adjoins the cre
to t." protected. This can be done
with 4 sharp hoe; and as the margins
OF wheat fields usually become COM
pacted, it is but little trouble TO clear
or path foot or more in width
smooth as floor. with the surface
almost as hard. In the midst Of this
path post holes are sunk as in the
bottoms Of burrows and train of
"nni tar is run between them, being
81 arranged that it will reach the post
hole near the inner side opposite the
field from which the bugs are mi"rat-
ing.
In this way as the bugs reach the
train of coal tar they will follow along
until they reach the post hole, while
those meeting with the post holes will
usually divide and following around
II JON with the flow of bugs moving
al"n" the trains Of coal tar. The re-
suit is that they become congeStcl in
the acute angle where the coal tar
train IS intercepted by the post hol-
cs. Those in the apex of this angle
can not turn back. and thus are con-
trnually pushed into the holes by
those behind. From these holes there
Is II" escape. and here the bugs can be
readily killed by sprinklin" with kcro-
Scnp.
The slightest train Of coal tar is
sufficient TO obstruc1 the passage of
the bugs. and light rains will not af-
feet It's efficiency. In dry weathe,
these trains Of coal tar soon become
covered over with dust and must be
rcMowCd. but in Showcry wnaihe,