44 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1944 
give adequate coverage at speed- up to 25 miles per hour. To furnish 
the amount of bait Deeded for this purpose, a new type of batch mixer 
was also designed, which eliminated the need for Large mixing-station 
crews and provided ample quantities of bait at less expense. By July 
* 1 approximately 2.400 tons of bait had been spread by farmers, and 503 
tons by States and counties with Federal assistance. 
As the rcMilt <d" control operations and natural factors the area in- 
fested with the Mormon cricket has been reduced from approximately 
19.000,000 acres in 1099 to 940.000 acres in 1944. By July 1 about 
550 tons of bait had been spread by plane and 300 tons by power baiting 
units. A much smaller, though highly important, portion of the area, 
embracing country inaccessible to mechanical spreaders, was baited by 
hand. In the combined operation 150,000 acres were covered in 1944, 
and important savings of range forage and adjacent crops were 
effected. 
CONTROL OF CHINCH BUGS 
A moderate infestation of chinch bugs developed in parts of 40 
counties across the central part of Illinois. Nearly 800.000 pounds of 
dinitro-0-cresol dust and approximately 250.000 gallons of creosote 
were supplied to farmers in this State for construction of barriers. 
More than 100,000 acres of corn were saved. Only limited amounts of 
barrier were constructed in other States. 
BARBERRY ERADICATION 
Eradication of rust-spreading barberry bushes in important grain- 
growing areas is essential to the control of stem rust of wheat, oats, 
barley, and rye. As a result of organized effort on the part of grain 
growers, and with the assistance of county, State, and Federal agencies, 
nearly 70 percent of the approximately 1 million square miles in the 
17 States comprising the barberry-eradication area has been protected 
from local sources of stem rust since control work was undertaken 25 
years ago. The remaining 310.500 square miles must be given further 
attention to eliminate bushes that have grown from seed that were in 
the ground at the time of the initial survey. Of immediate concern 
at this time are areas approximating 10.000 square miles last inspected 
about G years ago. Since the new bushes may produce seed when 5 to 
years old, the proper timing of clean-up work is important if it is to 
be done most economically and effectively. 
ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 1943 
During 1948 difficulties arising from war conditions combined to 
reduce accomplishments in barberry eradication to somewhat below 
those of the previous year. Nevertheless, 1,715,938 bushes were de- 
si royed in 252 important grain-producing count ies. During the season 
systematic surveys were applied to 5,456 square miles. Of 11,117 
previously infested properl ies thai were reinspected, 4,000 will require 
no further- work-. Barberry bushes were located and dest royed on 2,182 
properties, 541 representing new locations. The program was con- 
fined largely to rework in areas Where then* was immediate danger 
of reseeding, and where bushes growing in close proximity to grain 
fields constituted a serious stem-rust menace. 
A summary of the eradication work hy States is shown in table 4. 
