61 



corn is ;l()ii(^, hikI it is tiic nicthod of this, iiiifrriitoiy iiiovcirKuit wliic;!! 

 (r\wo,H us our spccijil opportunity to protect tli(! corn l)y ll(^stroyinf^ the 

 itiv;ulinfi;arniy. 



\Vh(!n th<! majority of tJic hntod have acipiircd vvinf;s, (h<;lits of ilie 

 achlits f)ccur, rcsultiiifi- in their dispersal throii<;ii the field. Tfio G^f^H for 

 a second ^(Mioratiot) are laid most commonly in corn fi(^lds, particularly 

 on roots of <;rass-lik(! weeds ^rowiiif!; amon^' the corn. Tliis s(U'ond gen- 

 eration of the year reach(!s the vvinfi;ed staf;(! hite in August, and (;arly in 

 Sept-(!ml)er, and leaves the fields in s(!arch of winter (|iiart(!rs from the 

 middle of the; latter month to about the middle of OctolKU'. 



It, should he noted Jiow(!ver, t.luit. none of th(!S(i mov<!in(!nts are made 

 simultaneously by all tin; (^hincli-l)Ufz,s of a locality. I<iven the move- 

 ment from th(! winter (piarters is a gradual one, and in some cases the 

 cliinch-})U<iS have not all place(| t,hems(!lv(!S for \.\\v. laying- of t,li(!ir efj;^s 

 before the oats are sown, or (!V(!n by t,li(! time the corn is [)lant,e(|. I'liese 

 crops are cons(!()iietd,ly likely to l)ecome somewhat infested in 

 spring by the first. f;(!neraf ion of the y(!ar, even fjioiijih there iriay Ik; an 

 abundance of wheat ^rowin/i; also at tlu; time. 



If the weather is v(!rv dry at harvest, and (!Sf)(U'ially if drout.h and 

 the abundance; of tJie bu^s hav(! combinecj to kill both fi;r;i,in ;ind <i;;rass- 

 like weeds by harvest.-time, chin(;h-bugs will d(!S(!rt such ficilds almost 

 as fast as they can }r,(it out of them. If, on tlie oihcu- han(l,t}ie grain 

 ripens gradually and nornudly, and the slubbk; is left wit,li green weeds 

 intersf)ersed, the })ugs an; likcily to ling(!r for days and (!ven for weeks 

 Ixifore the harvested fi(;ld is com[)let(!ly free of them. 



The effect on corn varies with the; gravity of tli(! attack. Often in 

 the migration movem(!nt (;v(!ry plant, of s(;veral rows next an infest,ed 

 field of wheat or oats will be black(!ned by th(! invading Iiordes. Jn su(;h 

 a case the corn is comf)l(!t(!ly kill(;d, and the; bugs move; forward row by 

 row, carrying the injury, it may be, from one side to another of a fifild 

 of twenty or thirty acr(!S, and leaving scarcely a living stalk behind. 

 Where they are less abimdant , hovv(!V(!r, t,h(!y are ('oinmonly to be found 

 first and most num(!rous Ixihind the boots or sheaths of the l(!av(;s, 

 wliere they drain and possibly kill the lower leaves of the plant, ch(!(;king 

 but not fully arnssting its growth. 



The second gt^neration, hat(;hing in 1,he corn field, does much less 

 injury to corn than the migrating one, not b(!cause it is less mmierous, 

 but because it is more widely dispersed, and b(!cause the corn plant 

 is larger and more thrifty at that s(!ason of the year, and can sup|)ort a 

 loss of sap wliicli would Ik; fatal to younger plants. 



A serious minor effect, of chinch-bug infestation during the lattf;r 

 part of the s(!ason is a cons(*(pience of the clustering of the bugs about tfie 

 base of the stalk of corn when; the so-call(!(l brace-roots are putting forth. 

 Th(; growing tissues at, this point arc; tli(!n so dr'aineij of sap t,hat these 



