58 



meteorological conditions, years of greatest drouth being generally 

 marked by unusual development of insect life. Same cause ren- 

 ders plants less able than usual to withstand insect injury. Be- 

 lieves that as a rule two consecutive dry seasons are necessary to 

 great development of most injurious species. Presents meteoro- 

 logical tables of rainfall and temperature for Illinois and adjacent 

 parts of Iowa and Missouri from 1840 to 1877. Excludes Cairo 

 record and early record from Sandwich, table being drawn from 

 various sources not fully specified, but including Athens [Menard 

 County] record, commencing in 1840, and signal service records 

 of Chicago, Dubuque, Davenport, and St. Louis, for years 1873-77. 

 Temperature series taken, with some exceptions, from Augusta, 

 Hancock county. Concludes that a seven years' period is discern- 

 ible in the rainfall series, each of these periods being again 

 divided into sub-periods of four and three years respectively. 

 Finds a passable correspoudence between these periods and the 

 years of greatest chincli-bug injury, — 1850, 1854, 1871, and 1874. 

 Infers that multiplication of chinch bugs depends on combined 

 influence of increased rainfall and high temperature. Mentions 

 some exceptions to this rule with their explanations. Belives it 

 impossible to predict with certainty whether a given year will be 

 marked by chinch-bug injury. Calls attention to an apparent error 

 in the estimate of damage to the wheat crop by the chinch bug 

 in 1864, made by J)r. Shimer, and of that to the crop of 1871, 

 made by Dr. LeBaron. Says these estimates do not conform to 

 the statistics of the Agricultural Department, and that they are 

 entirely too large. Kecommends planting trees and forming ponds 

 as measures for retaining and distributing moisture in dry years. 



Thomas, Cyrus. — Anti-Chinch-Bug Crops. (Farmers' Keview, Jan. 

 20, 1881, V. 6, p. 35.) 



Answer to an inquiry from Nebraska as to the crops least 

 subject to ravages by chinch bug, and the mode of farming best 

 adapted to reduce its injuries to a minimum. As corn and 

 spring wheat appear to favor the development of this insect more 

 than other crops, reduce corn area and sow winter wheat. Favors 

 the early sowing of buckwheat on land to be cropped in wheat, 

 turning it under with the plow just before sowing wheat. Men- 

 tions flax and peas as crops little liable to injury by the chinch 

 bug. Suggests four preventive measures: (1) Devote attention 

 largely to stock-raising; (2) rely on winter wheat as chief money 

 <;rop if it can be successfully grown, substituting oats for corn; 



(3) HOW buckwheat, not only for grain but to clear ground of in- 

 sects, raising also flax, peas, and potatoes, as far as profitable; 



(4) whenever the bugs appear in corn burn their hiding places 

 in spring or fall — preferably in fall. 



KiNOSLEY, D. W. — Anti-Chinch-Bug Crops. (Farmers' Review, 

 Fel). 24, 1881, v. 0, p. 114.) 



Independence, Kan. "Tlie ravages of the chinch bug hero liavc^ 

 been just in proportion to the wheat crop, especially on upland." 



