Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-07-13
Fighting Chinch Bugs

Probably the most practical way of
lighting the bugs in dry weather is
with the dust mulch barrier. Where
they have not entered the field, or
merely r in a section Of it, the dust
mulch barrier may be made by plow-
ing a furrow ahead Of the infeststion
and dragging the furrow regularly,
several times a day with a log.
There r two types Of dust bar
riers, the double furrow and the scin-
gle furrow. The first is made by
blowing a strip about ten feet wide
between the infested and non-infested
fields and then reducing the soil to a
fine dust by narrowing and dragging
with a brush drag. Two V-shaped
troughs about four feet long are
made Of heavy lumber and held about
a foot apart by two timbers, not less
than 2x4 inches, nailed firmly across
ten top. That double trough, heavily
weighted down, is dragged back and
forth. On the plowed strip until two
deep parallel burrows + formed,
the sides and bottoms Of which are
covered with a dep fine dust.
The Single Furrow Barrier
The single furrow barrier is made
by blowing a deep lister furrow or
dead furrow between the infested and
non-infested fields. The sides and
bottom Of the furrow are reduced to
a deep, fine dust by dragging back
and forth a heavy log wrapped with
a log chain.
The double furrow barrier requires
a little more time to construct, but de-
mands less attention while the hugs
are moving. Either type of barrier
can be renewed readily by redrag-
ging.
After the bugs are caught in these
burrows they may be destroyed by
burning with a gasoline torch or
crushing with the drags. The most
successful is the hot blast. That is
done by flaming the sides and bottom
Of the burrows at regular intervals
with a strong gasoline torch. AL
though many bugs may be destroyed
while they are moving by continuous
draggings many are forced out Of the
furrow.
The gasoline blast not only des-
trops the bugs by simply passing the
flame along the furrow, hut the fur
rows can be renewed as often as nee
essary by dragging Che log or trough
them.
By putting a piece Of two by four
l~engthwise on the double trough for
making the dust mulch, so as to
make a slight furrow on the top Of
the ridge, provision may be made for
using the oil barrier for use in rainy
weather.
The oil barrier is a slender line Of
road oil, crude cresote or tar poured
along a smooth surface between the
infested and uninfested sections. The
oil is poured along the groove from
sprinkling can. the nozzle Of which
has been removed. The bugs are dies,
troyed BY flaming along the oil line
with the gasoline torch. Or by digging
post holes at the bottom of the slope
on ten bug-infested side.
The material used in making the
oil barrier is determined largely BY
its cost and accessibility, In the
previous outbreak of chinch bugs in
Kansas (1912-1914), road oil No. I
and coal tar both were used with good
results. The Illinois agricultural
experiment station has used crude
cresote and recommends it.
The Bugs in the Row Crops
Where the bugs are thick enough
to threaten to destroy the corn .
heavy disc or plow is the best remedy
It Is suggested the ground be given .
heavy deep working, the corn turned
under and lew soil torn up. Those
who have had experience say the
ground should be worked day after
day, because it is difficult to bury the
chinch bug so deep there is no resur-
reetion for him. Narrowing day