THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 23 



marching from one field to another. The following extracts — the first 

 one written in June, 1865, by Dan. F. Rogers to the New York Far- 

 mers' Club, and the second from an old number of the Prairie Far- 

 mer — may seem a little far-fetched, but I have no doubt that both 

 accounts are substantially correct: 



There never was a better "show" for wheat and barley than we 

 had here the 10th of June, and no more paltry crop has been harvested 

 since we were a town. Many farmers did not get their seed. In 

 passing by a field of barley where the Chinch Bugs had been at work 

 for a week, I f3und them moving in solid column across the road to a 

 corn field on the opposite side, in such numbers that I felt almost 

 afraid to ride my horse among them. The road and fences were alive 

 with them. Some teams were at work mending the road at this spot, 

 and the bugs covered men, horses and scrapers till they were forced 

 to quit work for the day. The bugs took ten acres of that corn, clean 

 to the ground, before its hardening stalks — being too much for their 

 tools — checked their progress. Another lot of them came from a 

 wheat field adjoining my farm into a piece of corn, stopping now and 

 then for a bite, but not long. Then they crossed a meadow 30 rods 

 into a 16 acre lot of sorgo, and swept it like a fire, though the cane 

 w T as then scarce in tassel. From wheat to sorgo was at least sixty 

 rods. Their march was governed by no discoverable law, except that 

 they were infernally hungry, and went where there was most to eat. 

 Helping a neighbor harvest one of the few fortunate fields, early 

 sown — and so lucky ! — we lound them moving across his premises in 

 such numbers that they bid lair to drive out the family. House, crib, 

 stable, well-curb, trees, garden fences — one creeping mass of stinking 

 life. Id the house as well as outside, like the lice of Egypt, they 

 were everywhere ; but in a single day they were gone. 



If any Western rustics are verdant enough to suppose that Chinch 

 Bugs cannot be out-flanked, headed off and conquered, they are en- 

 tirely behii d the times. The thing has been effectually done during 

 the past season, by Mr. Davis, Supervisor of the town of Scott, Ogle 

 county. Ills. This gentleman had a cornfield of a hundred acres, 

 grow; a ugside ol an extensive field of small grain. The bugs had 

 finished up the latter and were preparing to attack the former, when 

 the owner, being of an ingenious turn, hit upon a happy plan for cir- 

 cumventing them. He surrounding the corn with a barrier of pine 

 b< :s set up edgewise, and partly buried in the ground, to keep 

 them in position. Outside of this fence deep holes were dug, about 

 ten feet apart. The upper edge of the board was kept constantly 

 moist with a coat of coal tar, which was renewed every day. 



The bugs, according to their regular tactics, advanced to the 

 as ult in solid columns, swarming by millions, and hiding the 

 ground. They easily ascended the boards, but. were unable to cross 

 the belt of the coal tar. Sometimes they crowded upon one another 

 s< ridge over the barrier, but such places were immediately 



cot a new coating. The invaders were in a worse quandary 



than that of Butler and Weitzel at Fort Fisher, and, in that state of 

 mind crept backward and forward until they tumbled into the deep 

 hole 1. These were soon filled, and the swarming myriads 



were b d out ol them literally by wagon loads, at the rate of 



thirty or forty bushels a du\ — and buried up in other holes, dug for 

 t h as required. Tins may seem incredible.to persons un- 



acquainted with this little pe . bul n i one who has seen the count- 

 lee myriads which cover the earth as harvest approaches, will feej 



