292 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



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insures such an early, rapid and prolific development that noth- 

 ing can withstand them. On the other hand, when the weather is 

 cloudy and wet, and the soil heavy and filled with moisture, they 

 propagate but slowly, and are sometimes kept back so that they 

 do not become numerous enough to do any harm until the early 

 .grain is out of their way. Then, should the weather become fa- 

 vorable, they fall heavily upon the corn and oats. The effect 

 that the season has on them is clearly seen in the fact that, not- 

 withstanding the wonderful rapidity with which they propagate, 

 each female reproducing her kind five hundred times, they sel- 

 dom get numbers sufficient to do much harm except where two 

 very dry seasons come together, and then the amount of harm 

 done is proportionate to the heat and dryness of the seasons. 



Spring wheat and barley are the cereals best adapted to their 

 wants, and which sutler most from their attacks; in fact it is 

 thought by many, that were it not for these two varieties of grain 

 the bugs would not develop in such numbers, or have sufficient 

 vitality to do much harm. It is true that they will thrive on oats 

 and corn, but the} 7 will only feed upon them after the wheat and 

 barley are gone and there is nothing else to devour. The most 

 natural place and time for them to propagate n on the wheat and 

 barley ; when these are gone the egg depositing season is nearly 

 over and the insects have attained their greatest numbers. It is 

 at this time that they are often seen marching in compact masses 

 great and little in search of new fields to devour. 



Eemedies — Many plans have been tried by which to destroy 

 or at least so to reduce the numbers of this pest as to prevent the 

 wholesale destruction they occasion, but none of them have 

 prove;! very effectual. Notwithstanding their weakness, insig- 

 nificance in size and power, they have carried the day by sheer 

 force of numbers, and it is very doubtful whether the power or 

 wisdom of men will ever be able to exterminate this insignificant, 

 yet mighty foe. The most one can hope to do is to keep down 

 their numbers and thus lessen their power to injure. Nature, 

 aside from the storms and climatic conditions mentioned, will not 

 afford much aid. Their natural enemies are very few and limited 

 in numbers; a few of the Lady Birds and the Lace-wing Fly, are 



