The Bulletin. 29 



Mr. Ainslie also recommends rotation as one of the best preventive 

 measures, and says : "Wliere corn has followed itself on the same field 

 for two or more years there has been a much greater loss than where 

 a change of crop is practiced, especially where stalks and stubble remain 

 undisturbed through winter." But he also says: "By far the most 

 effective plan is to remove the stubble from the field with a rake and 

 burn it." 



The writer believes that this Stalk-borer offers a good chance for co- 

 operative effort, for the moths are active fliers and can readily make 

 their way from one field to another; hence it would seem that best re- 

 sults would be secured by all the farmers in a locality using the same 

 methods at the same time. 



THE CHINCH BUG. {Blissus leucopterus, Say.) 

 Order Ilcmiptera. Family Lygwidce. 



Description. — Small bugs about one-fifth inch long, blackish with 

 white wings, the young bugs reddish. Appear at times in great numbers 

 in wheat, oats, corn, millet, and timothy. There are both long-winged 

 and short-winged forms. Most destructive in our piedmont section on 

 "poor land." Primarily a dry-weather pest. 



Injury in North Carolina. — This insect is very irregular in its ap- 

 pearance as a pest. It is present every year, but only at irregular inter- 

 vals does it become excessively abundant. Any pest of this character is 

 sure to be often reported when it does appear in numbers, especially by 

 those of the younger generation of farmers who have not become in- 

 different to its ravages. Farmers who have lived long in the region of 

 Chinch-bug injury well know of their destructiveness ; others may take 

 our statement for it that when conditions favor their increase they 

 appear by millions, sucking the sap from the plants until they dry up as 

 if from drought or fire. At such times the destruction is often complete, 

 every stalk being sucked to death (not eaten) by the insects. From our 

 somewhat voluminous correspondence we quote the following as typical 

 and enlightening: 



"They came from my wheat-field and are sucking my corn to death; have 

 covered 2 or 3 acres in ten days." (Later) "They are not doing very much 

 while the heavy rains fall." 



"I think they first appeared in oats, then destroyed sorghum-cane, now in 

 the corn and are destroying it. They get around the stalk near the ground and 

 on the blades and suck it to death; seem to move in a solid army. Paris- 

 green will not kill them." 



"After harvest the bugs came from the adjoining wheat-field, marched into 

 my corn and sucked it until it died or was so dwarfed (next the wheat) that 

 no ears could form." 



