The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-12-27

The Chinct bugs caused serious dam
age in 1912 in several of the most inn
portant wheat growing sections. Should
conditions be favorable for the in
crease of these pests next spring and
summer, there are a sufficient number
now wintering along the fence rows
and in patches of grass to develop into
a horde that will destroy half the grain
corn, kafir corn and forage crops of
the state next season. The Chinch
bugs left unmolested this winter form
the most serious menace to all the
grain and feed crops of the state and
through these to every business inter
est in the state.
They can be almost entirely destroy
ed and practically all losses from them
be prevented, provided all punches of
grass and weeds that harbor them
through the winter in all parts of the
state be burned at once and these
pests and their winter quarters be de-
stroyed.
The Chinch bugs start feeding and
breeding early in the spring in the
young wheat and oats. They multiply
with great rapidity and just before
harvest time, if conditions are favor
able, they are in such numbers as to
destroy much of the small grain. When
the grain fields are harvested, the
Chinch bugs leave them an dattack
the corn, katir corn and forage crops
and injure them. as much or worse
than the wheat.
At the beginning of cold weather, the
Chinch bugs leave the corn fields and
make winter homes in grass and weeds
along fence rows and in meadows.
pastures and protected spots in yards,
gardens and orchards. They live
through the winter close to the ground
in these places and repeated expert
ments made in Kansas show that if
their shelter places are burned to the
ground at time when the grass and
trash is dry and at least 9S5 out of
every 1000 bugs are killed and the
remainder left unprotected.
All hiding places throughout the af-
fected territory must be burned. If
the bugs are destroyed on one farm
and not on the neighbors' farms, they
spread to the farm where the trash
was burned. If all bugs are destroyed
in a school district and not in adioin-
ing districts, they will spread to cover
both
If bugs are destroyed on the farms
and left unmolested in trash in the
city gardens and yards they will spread
to the farms.
Insect pests that injure cotton and
other crops live through the winter in
grass and trash the same as the Chinch
bugs, and can be destroyed by burning
in the same way as the Chinch bugs.
1t is therefore advisable that all trash
and grass be burned in all parts of
the state except the grass that must
be used for winter feed in large pas
lures.
All places of business and schools
should be closed on some day during
the week beginning December go 1912
The people in town should burn all
trash and grass that may shelter
, Chinch bugs and then should go out
and help the farmers to burn all hid
ing places for Chinch bugs on the
. farms. Particular attention should be
given to vacant lots and to non-resi.
dent lands and to all fence rows and
roadsides.
Road masters should have burned
J all hiding places for Chinch bugs along
: every road and railroads should take
: special pains to burn all hiding places
: along their rights of way, particularly
: along fences and beside culverts.
The burning should be done on q
day when there is little wind and the
grass is dry, and particular attention
l,I,o - ~ iv,r