NATURAL THECKS. 
31 
fully $330,000,000 for the period from 1850 to 1898. If the indirect 
losses were to be added the amount would indeed be enormous. Dur- 
ing the outbreak in Ohio at least two farmers became discouraged, and, 
thinking that the loss of their crops by the attack of chinch bugs would 
result in their financial ruin, in their despondency sought relief in 
suicide. 
When we take into consideration that the financial losses as above 
estimated have not fallen upon the entire nation, but almost without 
exception upon the nine States previously named (see Fig. 6) it will be 
seen that this diminutive insect constitutes a formidable enemy to the 
agriculturist of these States. In fact, small as it is, this pest has cost 
the people of these nine States a sum of money sufficient to defray the 
entire expense of the National Government for a whole year. Fire 
3?X 
#•• y 
"-""■ 4i *. ■ ■ ' '.*•' '*^£i * A ) 
• *•*.'•* * X***' »* ~'\* **««** *j»''*»* , -t* 
*Jf, 
«•».•,»••; •"•,»'«;V .'<»*• J;/;"vij 
\\\ ^^^V ) ' : '^—\]lSZ 
Fig. 6.— Map showing areas in the United States over which the chinch hug occurs in most 
destructive numbers (authors illustration). 
excepted, there is probably no other element that has caused such an 
enormous financial loss within the same period over the same area of 
country. 
NATURAL (HECKS. 
All adverse natural influences affecting the chinch bug will be treated 
under this head with the exception of animal and vegetable foes, which 
are considered here as natural enemies. 
INFI.ll \< B OF PRECIPITATION ON nil' CHINCH BIT.. 
There is probably no more potent factor in restraining the Increase 
in numbers of this species than is to be found in meteorological influ- 
ences consequent upon ram. The fact has long been known that the 
