LOSSES CAUSED BY CHINCH BUGS. 35 
Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas. In this 
case the damage was estimated by the United States statistician, Mr. 
J. R. Dodge, at $60,000,000, the heaviest losses occurring in Hlinois, 
Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas. This gives us as the estimated loss 
in the thirty-eight years, 1850 to 1887, both inclusive, the enormous 
sum of $267,000,000. 
There was a serious outbreak in Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, and I]li- 
nois, having its beginning probably as early as 1892, but reaching its 
maximum severity, as in Ohio, in 1896. The loss in Ohio during the 
vears 1894, 1895, 1896, and 1897 could not have fallen far short of 
#2,000,000. The farmers of this State in many cases were entirely 
Fic. 10.—Map showing areas in the United States over which the chinch bug occurs in 
greatest abundance and may at any time become destructive. (Original.) 
unfamiliar with the chinch bug and its ravages, and therefore were 
unable to account for the damage that it worked in their fields until 
some time after. This was especially true of the timothy meadows in 
the northeastern part of the State; so that there were probably many 
fields, both of grass and of grain, that suffered seriously, and, in fact, 
im some cases were ruined by the chinch bug without the owners being 
aware of the cause. For this reason, while the computed loss appears 
large, it seems to me to be entirely reasonable. Of the losses ocea- 
sioned in other States during the years above indicated no definite 
computations are available, but they were severe, and must have 
amounted to millions of dollars. If we could have careful estimates 
of the loss during the last fifteen years, it would in all probability 
@ Report of U. S. Commissioner of Agriculture, 1887, p. 56. 
