The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1922-11-09
BURN THE cHINcH
BUGS THIS FALL
(By j. w. McColloch, Associate
Experiment SStation.)

There are two times during the
year when the chinch bugs can be
successfully controlled. The first
comes at harvest time when the bugs
are migrating from the small grain
fields to the corn and sorghums, and
requires considerable expense for la
Dor and materials over period OF
about two weeks The second comes
during the winter months, when the
bugs are in Information and, on the
ordinary farm, can be accomplished
in half a day with practically no ex-
pense. Experience has shown that
when the winter campaign is conduct
ed comparatively, wheat is protect
ed from injury and the summer con-
troll measures are unnecessary
Whenever the bugs have caused In
jury during the preceding season, 80
per cent of them will be found IN
the fall alternating in the clump-
forming grasses, such as bunch grass
and bluestem in meadows, pastures,
rayines and waste places and along
roadsides. Cooperative expert
ments with farmers in many locali-
ties have shown that where these bug
infested areas have been systemat-
ically burned during November and
December, the chinch bug problem
has been solved for the ensuing year.
It is, therefore, imperative for the
farmer to find out whether his
grasses are harboring dangerous
number of bugs, and if they are found
to do so, he should burn all the bug
infested grasses without delay ana
get his neighbors to cooperate with
him. Neglect to destroy these bugs
and with climatic conditions favorable
for them, wheat, corn and sorghums
will suffer severely next year.
All clump-formings grasses found
along roadsides, ravines, waste areas,
meadows and pastures should be
burned over if it is found that they
are harbormg chinch bugs. This can
be determined by parting the stems
close to the crown of the plant when
the bugs, if abundant, can be easily
seen. When no bugs are found by
this method. then a number of clumps
should be dug up at random over the
area and pulled to pieces over
large sheet of white paper or cloth.
If there is an average of 10 or 15 to
the clump then the area should be
burned over. Meadows that have
been moved late in the year and pas
lures that have been grazed usually
do not harbor many bugs and do not
REQUIRE burning. 1t should also be
mentioned that blue grass pastures,
even tho they may harbor some bugs,
should never be burned. Chinch bugs
will also be found in number OF
other places, such as corn shocks and
stubble, but with ordinary winter
conditions these will perish before
spring.
The best time to destroy the
chinch bugs in Information is in NO
yember and December. The grass Is
drier at this time and will burn clos
err to the ground, thus killing larger
per cent of the bugs by fire and ex-
posing the remainder to severe ell
matte conditions. Repeated expert
ments in many localities and over
period of years shows that burning
at this time results in the destruc-
ton of 985 out of every 1000 bugs.
Whenever possible the grass should
be burned with a back fire, against
the wind. Such fire burns closer,
holds the heat longer, and is easier
to keep under control. A head fire
sweeps over the ground rapidly, does
not burn closely, and often gets out
of bounds. The method of burning,
however, will vary somewhat with
the different areas, and must be de-
termined by the individual at the
time. The principal requisite In
[emorial Hospital, Kansas City, Kan