radish alone. But give him water to drink, and meat and oilier 

 food that is not flavored, and he will want to eat of the hoi-c 

 radish in preference to eating his food unfiavored. A chicken 

 forced to be without food excepting grain bugs might ii\.' 

 longer by leaving them alone, but taken with other food ,a.n 1 

 including grit, the grain bugs can be expected to form a health- 

 ful part of the whole. 



"Early in the season the immature stages of the first gen- 

 eration of the grain bug are concentrated on the tender plants 

 of Russian thistle and other native plants growing in the waste 

 areas of cultivated fields. At this time the multiplication of 

 the species may be restricted greatly by spraying these areas 

 with a strong insecticide or chemical, thus killing insects and 

 other obnoxious food plants in one operation" (p. 32). 



Such a plan is not at all practicable or desirable. A chem- 

 ical that would destroy the food plants would also injuriously 

 act upon the soil, and thus either prevent the growth of all 

 plants, or permit only those of poorest food value to gain a 

 foothold. Moreover, the insects emerge irregularly, lunce 

 could not be killed all in one application, with the result that 

 those emerging subsequently would be forced to congregate 

 upon the cultivated crops. But the large areas that would 

 have to be treated and the comparatively small yield usually 

 secured on fields in arid regions render the incidental expense 

 utterly prohibitive. On the other hand, poultry given the run 

 will keep on picking these insects off right along, with other 

 kinds. Besides, if natural enemies are to be a factor at all, 

 they must have a place to hibernate and breed. 



