The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1913-12-11
Wari War !! War!!!

! During the spring and summer when
the chinch bugs are running the crops
Of oats and corn, the farmers in great
distress ask for some immediate rene.
dy to get rid of the great pests. 1t is
! then often too late TO save the crops
from the vast multitude Of bugs which
are sucking the life out of the plants
There are remedies which, If applied
in time will save the crops from de-
struction during the summer, and
these remedies deserve attention; but
how many farmers realize that they
can strike the death blow NOW, which,
by killing thousands this fall will pre-
vent millions aud even billions from
appea ring next summer?
The chinch bugs are now in their
winter quarters. They hide in various
kinds of grass, corn shocks, stubble
and rubbish, but they show a decided
pre- ference for certain kinds OF hiding
places -clumps of tall coarse grasses
are regular ''hot beds" where the
chinch bugs hide.
The writer of this article has gone
over l5.acre meadow Of native grass
aud only found a few chinch bugs here
and there. But upon examining a
clump Of tall grass along ditch at
the side Of the field the results were
startling Hiding between the lower
leaf sheath and the stem were from 20
to 30 chinch bugs, There we're over
200 stems IN ths clump aud nearly
every one was used as u hiding place
| by the bugs This would make from
4 900 to 5000 bugs that were hiding in
this one clump of grass, whish occu-
pied space about two feet square
Now il one will stop 10 think how
much grass grows alonga fence row
aud neglected places, The prs.ibNr
number Of chinch bugs hiding there l.
simply amazing. suppose that II tar
NOR has mile Of fence row tour feet
wide this will make p l2O square feet
of surface. Multiplying this number
10y l25O (averagu number OF bugs Tor
one square fooO makes 2j,4OJ,OOO, n
conservative estimate, aud yet An enor-
nous number 20 Je hiding right under
the very nose and protection Of the
farmer vino does nothing to destroy
this vast army encampod about him,
A female chinch bug is said to lay
500 eggs. Supposing half the number
in hiding To be females, these would
produce 100000, 900 in the first gen
Grafton from this mile of fence row
On the same suppositiOn for the second
generation there would he l,65O,OOO,
900 OOO--certainly formidable mum
Der to march into corn field. And
remember this is just for one mile OF
fence row four feet wide, equal TO less
than one-half acre. 1t is not at all
surprising that there are sLch multi
tudes Of chinch bugs to march into the
corn fields after the wheat and oat'
are cut.
Let the farmers wake up and make
war on the chinch bugs at their vul
nerable point. This can be done 10y
burning all their hiding places, thu
killing them outright or exposing then
TO the freezing weather SO that man
will die from exposure. judgment
should be used in this matter of burn
ing of grass and proper methods o
protection used to guard against the
fire breaking away, II burning cannot
be employed, then early moving anc
pasturing could be employed to ad
vantage 60 preveut the chinch bug
from hiding in such places.
Let the farmers organize Chine
hug Societies for the exterminatiou d
this great pest and wipe it out o, ex
istence. United effort is he nece-
sary thing in this war, as IL is IN un'
war. Farmers, unite your Iurc. "a,
wage IA relentless war on the chine,
bug. Do il NOW
Il. |. LICHTG
Assistant Entumuiugist
Oklahoma Agricultural EXperimen
Station, Saltwater, Okla.