12 



INJURIOUS INSECTS OF 1903. 



ties in this respect, Stearns being particularly afflicted. On 

 the farm of Mr. Chris. Block, near Maine Prairie, where pre- 

 viously b}'' good farming method the land had yielded twenty- 

 five bushels per acre or over, I found a most serious condition 

 of affairs, the grain being badly shriveled. "This wheat is 

 unsalable," said Mr. Block, "and I shall use it for my hogs; it 

 will barely pay for the binding twine and labor of threshing. 

 I shall not raise wheat or barley next year." 



Approximately the same condition prevailed in many sec- 

 tions of Stearns county; while so)ne fields were not touched 

 by the bug, others suffered a loss gf from 30 per cent to 50 per 

 cent, and some wheat was not deemed worth cutting. 

 Heavily manured portions, which was the case in Mr. Block's 



Fig. 8.— An ideal place, 



ju upi_)U alinobt Lxery farm, lur the Chinch Bug to pass 

 the winter in. 



land, were the worst affected, the surface dressing applied in 

 the autumn forming a favorable place for the bug to pass the 

 winter. In this county, Stearns, timothy was damaged to 

 some extent. 



In driving from St. Cloud to Maine Prairie through Lux- 

 emburg on August 25th I noted that six out of every ten corn 

 fields were badly infested with Chinch Bugs for several rows 

 deep. On some of the least affected it was evident that the 

 ears would mature, weather conditions allowing, but in the 

 majority of cases the entire plant was doomed. 



