The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1910-03-11
To Fight This Seasons
ChinCh BuQS Now.

Aue CHlucH Guy, COmpATHJlVely
small blackIsh-brown insect, is con-
spicuous on account Of It's white wings
and characteristic odor. 1t feeds on
grains and grasses. 1t does not de-
YOUR the leaves but pierces the plant
witt its well adapted beaK and thereby
saps the plant. During the winter
the adult insect lives IN the protective
cover of over grown pastures and
weed patches along the road sides or
In the hedge rows,
This season 1t mas been unusually
abundant at the roots of the bunch
grass. Cold freezing weat er seems
to have but little effect on the health
and vigor of the chIneh bug. Unless
effective means are used to de- troy
them at this time theV will soon be
migrating to the wheat fields, there
20 deposit their eggs at the roots Of
the growing grains. Each female
insect deposits from 200 to 500 eggs
and out OF these eggs will soon come
minute reddish mite-like creatures.
These soon sap the lives of plants
upon which they feed.
1t should be- evident, then, to the
farmer that for every chinch bug
cremated now, the possible appear
Ance of 500 others has been forestai.ed
The present time is highly oppor-
une moment for attack. just as soon
as the ground aud grass become dry
enough SO that the stocks will buru
close up TO the ground, fire should be
run over the meadows, roadways, and
more especially those adjoining corn
fields where the chinch bug was
prevalent last year. To be mts
festive such measures must be
general. That is, just at this season
Il the year when the rush of farm
work has not yet begun, farmers
'hould band themselves together by
townships and by counties to do this
work, This mode Of treatment is OF
Ireatest Importance and should moi
D. neglected. In case the farmers
over the area where chinch bugs
existed last year DO not get all ;hese
,neltering places burned over, tn,
problem Of de fling with them during
the season of growing crops will then
come up. The insects will then have
20 be dealt with In the midst OF the
growing grain.
There is well known fungus
disease that is commonly supposed to
destroy, when artiticlally introduced
The chineh bags in great numbers.
The extent TO which this mode of
controlling the chinch bag is effective
is a proposition worthy of serious
investigation, Upon this subj ct
recent publication from the Kansas
State Agricultural College says,
whether artificial introduction OF
the fungus among the bugs Will,
under favorable conditions, materially
hasten It's action IS problem that
calls for fundamental Investigation.
This Is an interesting and highly
important question and in order to
settle 1t IL possible, the University
has detailed two men, Professor Glenn
of the department OF Entomology and
Professor Billings of the department
of Bacterology, to give their I'M
divided time and attention to an
independent and fundamental re-
search TO determine the efficacy Of
the artificial introduction of this
fungus. While they are engaged
upon this problem the University,
through its department of Ento-
mology, will, when called upon,
cooperate with the farmers and
wheat growers through personal
direction and correspondence, This
department strongly urges just now
the burning over wherever possible
OF all places where the chinch bug is
likely TO be spending the winter,
Farmers who wish to cooperate 10
this experimental work will be sent
fungus Infected bugs in return for
packages of bugs which they send in
to the University. Iu order that the
supply for experimental work may not
be exhausted, ii will be necessary to
send with each request for fungus
goodly supply of chinch bugs.-By
S. j. Hunter, Professor of Entomology,