The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-08-09
1HINCH BUGS ARE EXPENSIVE.
From 1850 to 1906 They. Cost Nine
States $330,00O,O00.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
Few insects, and certainly no 9TH
er species Of the natural order to
which this one belongs, have caused
such enormous pecuniary losses as has
the chinch bug.
But for the extreme susceptibility
of the very young to destruction by
drenching rains and for the less
though not signicant destructiveness
during rainy seasons Of certain
parasitic fungus on both the adults
and young, the practice Of raising
grain year after year on the same
areas, as followed in the United Sta
tes, would become altogether unpro-
ftable.
The ohinch bug is a very widely
distributed little beast, found in Eu-
rope, Asia, Africa, North and South
America and some Of the islands Of
the sea.
It hibernates in the adult stage, 50
that when spring comes it is already
grown up and ready to take up busl-
ness at the point where it stopped
the previous autumn.
In the timothy meadows Of north
eastern Ohio the United States Gov
ernment agent has witnessed cases
where the chinch bugs had commenced
operations along one side, worked
part way acros the field, killing the
timothy as they advanced, and con-
tinued their depredations the follow
ing year precisely where they sus-
pended work. the autumn before.
In wheat fields the females do not
seem to forsake their gregarious ha-
bits entirely, as they do not scatter
out evenly over the entire field, but
appear to locate in colonies, and when
the young hatch and begin 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-
port of the Department Of Agricul-
ture, these whitening patches more
commonly appear on the back furrows
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 prema-
turely and crinkle down.
When the migration is accomplish
ed by crawling, the females seem to
spread only enough to afford food for
the young until the latter are able to
make their own way from place to
place. The young remain clustered. on
the plant about which they were
Matched until this has been drained
of sap. when they make their way,
almost in a body, to a second plant,
and in this way day: after day.
In the spring the chinch bug proba-
bly, fingers about its winter quarters
until a favorable day for migration
occurs. Transfer a typical Indian
summer day to early May, and per-
haps raise the temperature few de-
grees, and you have day during
which chinch bugs may be seen on
the wing, crawling along on fences,
or 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 corn
fields.
AS to the ravages due to this pest,
the estimated loss it caused to crops
from 1850 to 1887 reaches the sum OF
S267, 100000. If we could have care
full estimates covering recent years
they would undoubtedly swell the
amount to considerably in excess of
$33O,OOO,O0O for the period from 1850
to 1906. If the indirect losses were
to be added, the amount would in
deed be enormous. During the out
break in Ohio at least two flrmers
become discouraged, and thinking
that the loss Of their crops by the at
tack of chinch bugs would result in
their financial ruin, in their despond-
ency they sought relief in suicide.
When we take into consideration