404 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



Second. Its attack has been made upon timothy. This seems to he its most un- 

 usual food-plant, and, therefore, we infer, the least suited to it. All previous ac- 

 counts concur in giving it a preference for spring wheat above all things else; next 

 in order, oats or corn, and last, the grasses. Timothy is only mentioned as occasion- 

 ally attacked by it. 



Third. In all previous accounts great prominence has been given to its being a hot 

 and dry weather insect, depeudent upon these, conditions not only for its multiplication 

 but for its existence. Heavy rains have been claimed to be invariably fatal to it. It 

 could not abound, it is stated, in a wet season.* Dr. Fitch had even made recom- 

 mendation of sprinkling it with water (an artificial shower) as the best means for its 

 extermination. In the present instance the bug obstinately persists in multiplying 

 contrary to all rule. The past and the present have both been years of excessive 

 rainfall in Saint Lawrence County. Spring, summer, and autumn have been excep- 

 tionally wet. * * * 



It is shown by the above statements that the insect has rapidly increased and 

 largely extended its area during the present year, under conditions which should 

 have been fatal to it. Why it has been otherwise may perhaps hud its explanation 

 in the fact that it is a new introduction in this part of the United States, and that it 

 is following the law well known to prevail in the introduction from abroad (Europe 

 principally) of nearly all of our injurious insects. With scarcely an exception, with 

 their importation tbey become far more destructive, causing greater ravages and 

 often attacking new food-plants. 



As the past history of the insect has shown that parasites and other enemies have 

 entirely failed to arrest its multiplication, we are compelled to believe, from present 

 means indications, that it has come to stay, and that it will do so unless effectual are 

 taken to prevent it. . 



The following extract from a letter written March 20, 1884, in reply to 

 inquiries that came through Dr. Loring from Hon. A. X. Parker, M. 0., 

 will show that our own experience with the insect obliged us to dissent 

 from Mr. Lintner's views, and especially from his predictions : 



* * * I have already expressed my views in reference to the exceptional inju- 

 ries of the Chinch-bug in Saint Lawrence County, New York, as reported in the 

 newspaper clippings sent by Mr. Parker, and as reported by Mr. Lintner, the State en- 

 tomologist, in various publications last fall, and particularly in the Albany Argus of 

 October 10, 1883, in Science of October 18, and in a circular issued from the office of 

 the State entomologist of New York, October 18. 



In the Scientific American of the latter part of November, 1883, and in Science (Vol. 

 II, p. 621) my views will be found expressed. Mr. Lintner draws attention to the 

 rarity of the Chinch-Bug in the State of New York heretofore ; to its persistent in- 

 jury in Saint Lawrence County, notwithstanding the past wet season, and finds in 

 these facts reason for the greatest alarm, on the supposition that this manifestation 

 is due to an invasion, and that the insect shows exceptional power of withstanding 

 constant rains, which are well-known to prove disastrous to it in the Mississippi Val- 

 ley. I have not been able to read over these accounts without feeling- that an undue 

 amount of alarm is felt. Since the Chinch-bug was known to occur in New York in 

 the time of Harris and Fitch, and is found farther north both dii the Atlantic sea- 

 board and in the Northwest, I see no reason for the belief that Saint Lawrence County 

 has been invaded from other parts, but should'rather attribute the recent injury to 

 undue increase of a species always there, although not generally noticed and even 

 unrecorded heretofore. The sudden increase may be due to the excessively dry 

 weather which characterized 1880 and 1881 and previous years, the reacting vret 

 weather having not yet exercised an injurious effect upon it. In this view of the 

 matter, which seems to be most reasonable, the outlook is rather encouraging than 

 alarming, and I fully expect to see this view corroborated by subsequent events, i. 

 e., the pest will sink back into its state of harmlessness, and has probably perished 

 in immense numbers during the past winter. 



It is obvious that I do not share in the alarm which Mr. Lintner feels in reference 

 to this exceptional increase and injury by this notorious insect, but that on the con- 

 trary I am inclined to the view that the farmers of Saint Lawrence County have 

 good reason for expecting a cessation of such widespread injuries. These views, 

 originally expressed last fall, have been further confirmed by subsequent report of 

 recent chinch-bug injury in other sections of the East. 



*A year before this, in the Annual Report of this Department for 1881-82 (p. 88), 

 we gave an instance of the swarming of the Chinch-bug in immeuse numbers in parts 

 of Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas in April and May, 1882, in spite of frequent rains. 



