The Chinch Bug and Its Control. 85 
originally occupied by the bugs, just as soon as the artificial barriers 
are removed and attractive crops appear. This may be within a few 
days, a few weeks, or the following years. 
It will cost the farmers much less to help a neighbor in the pur- 
chase of the labor and supplies necessary to make an immediate 
aggressive attack, and thus wipe out an infestation when first dis- 
covered on his place, than to allow it to cross property lines, multi- 
plying the needs of equipment and labor, and increasing the losses 
caused by the bugs. 
While it is reasonable that a farmer should stand the loss of his 
own crop by an infestation of bugs first observed on his land, it is 
sometimes well worth while for his neighbors to consider the ad- 
vantages of appraising with him the value of his damaged crop, 
mutually bearing the loss and the cost of the campaign, and to de- 
stroy immediately both crop and bugs. There are times when the 
destruction of a damaged crop will be cheaper by plowing and drag- 
ging than by any other method, and when plowing is thorough, at 
least 7 inches deep, and is immediately followed by thorough har- 
rowing and dragging, the kill thus secured is nearly 100 per cent. 
Third, the community adoption of growing crops which are not 
susceptible to chinch bug injury, in order to break the continuity of 
host crops over large areas, may sometimes be advisable. 
Fourth, team work is absolutely necessary to secure thorough- 
going benefits from the important work of burning the chinch bug 
hibernating places. Complete and thorough burning of the bunch 
grasses in November and December, undoubtedly a very valuable 
measure, can be accomplished only where there is cooperation. Burn- 
ing in patches and at different dates, even if ultimately thorough and 
distinctly beneficial, leaves opportunities for the escape of the un- 
burned bugs. Bugs whose cover is burned on one farm may transfer 
to nonburned cover, and again move if that is burned; whereas, if 
all the fields, etc., are burned at one time, at the earliest date prac- 
ticable after vegetation is killed by frost, the surviving bugs gen- 
erally will be killed by exposure to the winter weather. 
In conclusion, it should be fully recognized that the chinch bug, 
even though it may not now be abundant on your own farm, is a very 
potential crop destroyer, and with favorable weather may rapidly 
become injurious over large areas. The fact that your neighbor is 
the loser to-day makes it most probable that you will be the chief 
loser to-morrow. It can not be too strongly urged that you at once 
ally yourself with your neighbor, determine upon your course of 
procedure, and stop the chinch bug right where it is to-day. 
O 
