230 
CHINCH BUG OBSERVATIONS IN IOWA IN 1894. 
By Herbert Osborn, Ames, Ioiva. 
Acting under a commission from the Department of Agriculture 
received from Mr. Howard late in June, I took an extended trip through 
the State, making careful observations in all localities in which the 
chinch bug had appeared. I have submitted a full report, giving my 
field notes in detail. The following matter is extracted from the clos- 
ing pages of the report : 
To sum up the results of these investigations in as compact form as 
possible it may be said that the crop first attacked this season was in 
about 45 per cent of the cases wheat, in about 30 per cent barley, about 
18 per cent rye, about 20 per cent oats, and 2 per cent corn. The attacks 
in oats were in most cases where oats had been grown oh corn land or 
were adjacent to shelter for the bugs and where no other grain crop 
was present, and also it would seem in most cases where oats were 
planted early so that the bugs were able to commence work in the fields 
as early as they would have in other grain crops. With regard to the 
crop which had been on the ground a year before, it was, in the majority 
of cases, corn where the preceding crop could be determined, about 55 
per cent corn, about 35 per cent oats, about 7 per cent wheat, and about 
2 per cent rye. This would indicate that if there is any importance to 
be placed upon the sequence of crops that the bugs are more likely to 
infest fields which have been previously in corn stalKS. It seems prob- 
able, however, that this sequence is simply a result of the ordinary 
sequence of farm crops, wheat very commonly following corn. It would 
seem by the records in some cases that there was a strong probability 
that bugs hibernate in corn stalks, and it would seem wise to consider 
these a probable source of danger. In regard to the method of hiber- 
nation the record shows that practically in every instance there was 
some kind of shelter within a very short distance of the infested fields, 
and the evidence all points toward the movement of the bugs directly 
from such shelter into adjacent fields, and in many cases without even 
necessitating the taking to flight In a great majority of cases, 90 per 
cent or more, the fields were directly adjacent to hedges or thickets or 
timber belts, and in 75 per cent Osage orange hedges were the most 
available shelter. In about 13 per cent of the cases the evidence showed 
hibernation in grass or weeds, and in some of these cases there could 
scarcely be a doubt that the hibernating bugs were protected in a heavy 
growth of grass or weeds, and that they moved from these directly into 
the adjacent grain fields. These observations, while of course simply 
duplicating what has been recognized before, seem to show very forci- 
bly the importance of destroying the rubbish alongside of the fields, 
Avhere chinch bugs-have been present, as a means of protection for the 
following season. If new in any respect it is in that they indicate so 
