OF THE FARM AND GAEDEIT. 119 



this is supposed to be due to its disagreeable odor. The 

 Insidious Flower-bug {Anthocoris insidiosus, Say), fig. 

 83, and the Many-banded Robber [Harpactor cinctus, 

 Fabr. ), fig. 84, are the most prominent of these, and may 

 be recognized from the engravings. The larvae of sonle of 

 the Lady-birds, and a few others, also prey upon them 

 more or less, but the most efficient of all are the ants, 

 which destroy large numbers of the eggs. 



Eembdies — It has long been noticed that the Chinch 

 Bug commences its ravages from the edges of a piece of 

 grain, or occasionally from one or more small patches, 

 scattered at random in the more central portions of it, 

 and usually drier than the rest of the field. From these 

 particular parts it subsequently spreads by degrees over 

 the whole field, multiplying as it goes, and finally taking 

 the entire crop unless checked up by seasonable rains. 

 In newly broken land, where the fences are new and con- 

 sequently no old stuff has had time to accumulate along 

 them, the Chinch-bug is never heard of. These facts in- 

 dicate that the mother insects must very generally pass 

 the winter in the old dead stuff that usually gathers 

 along fences. Hence by way of precaution, it is advisa- 

 ble, whenever possible, to burn up such dead stuff in the 

 winter or early in the spring, and particularly to rake to- 

 gether and burn up the old corn-stalks, instead of plow- 

 ing them in, or allowing them, as is often done, to lie 

 littering about on some waste ground. It is true, agri- 

 culturally speaking, this is bad farming; but it is better 

 to lose the manure contained in the cornstalks than to 

 have one's crops destroyed by insects. Whenever such 

 small infested patches in a grain field are noticed early 

 in the season, the rest of the field may often be saved by 

 carting dry straw on to them and burning the straw on 

 the spot. Chinch-bugs, green wheat and all; and this 

 will be still easier to do when the bugs start along the 

 edge of the field. If, as frequently happens, a piece of 



