INSECTS INJURIOUS IN 1902. 12 
at some distance from the crop last attacked by them and to be 
reached only by flight. Places chosen for hibernating are corn 
shocks left in the field, rubbish and litter of all kinds, fallen leaves 
in the neighboring timber and Marlatt claims that they can be 
found by the thousands in the soil at the base of stools of wild 
grasses where these have not been destroyed by cultivation; he 
cites it as probably the ancient habit of the species before cultivated 
crops were in existence. The spring finds them flying from their 
places of hibernation to cultivated fields. Early in May in this 
latitude but earlier south of us. At this time they are everywhere; 
one finds them on his clothing in walking or riding and all in- 

Fig. 9.—Chinch bug (Blissus leucopterus), adult of long-winged form, much 
enlarged (from Webster). U.S. Dept. of Agr., Div. of Entomology. 
stinctively seeking the crop which will afford their young sufh- 
cient nourishment during their development. This crop is almost 
universally wheat, and while in the wheat from the very nature 
of the case they cannot, with our present knowledge, be success- 
fully dealt with. From the fact that they fly at this time there 
can be no really effectual barrier to prevent their entering the 
wheat field. I intend to try planting millet next season, experi- 
mentally, in a strip, say six feet wide about the wheat field, at 
the same time that the wheat is sown, and some strips at ,inter- 
vals through the field. Since they are very fond of millet this 
may be effective as a trap crop and as the bugs would stay on it 
as long as any sap ran it could be cut just before maturing and 
burned with the insects before it was quite dry. Not having tried 
this I cannot speak authoritatively upon its effectiveness. Plant- 
