52 
it was the first or middle of June when they commenced to work 
and a third brood came about the time corn was silking.* No suc¬ 
cessful remedies have been tried ; the most good was accomplished by 
plowing a ditch around the wheat field and drawing continually 
therein a large log. Some used a common roller where the bugs had 
to cross the road.” (?) 
Hardin County, May 28, 1875. 
•'First brood was seen a short time before early wheat harvest, say 
last of May to last of June. Injured all wheat some, late wheat was 
much damaged. 
“Second brood was seen when late corn was filling or in roasting 
ear, probably 1st to 15th August. Damaged all corn some, but late 
corn most. Nothing was done to prevent their damaging wheat. 
Some ditched with plow to prevent them from passing out of wheat 
into corn fields; this did but little good. Some killed them by rub¬ 
bing them with their hands on the corn stalks; some scalded*them 
on the outside rows to prevent them going into the corn. 
M. Rose, County Superintendent. 
Greenup, Cumberland County, III., June 18, 1875. 
“1st. The Chinch-bug did very great damage to the crops of this 
county last year, more perhaps than in any season for many years. 
“2d. I think our county has not been entirely exempt from their 
ravages for any season within twenty years, and every season for at 
least five years it has done serious injury. 
“3d. Many broods appeared last year. So soon as the weather be¬ 
came warm and settled in the spring, those that hibernated ap¬ 
peared in swarms, but just when the first brood commenced to 
hatch I do not know. They began to leave the wheat fields about the 
twentieth of June, and in about three weeks more they temporarily 
ceased their work of destruction on the corn; but I am of the opinion 
that after their first grand exodus from the wheat fields no more uni¬ 
versal broods appeared. I think that from the middle of July till 
frost, and even after frost, bugs could be found in every stage of de¬ 
velopment at any time. 
“4th. Few remedies, and those primitive and inefficient, and hardly 
any preventive measures have been used. Some farmers—myself 
among the number—plowed ditches and dragged heavy logs for days 
together, but the results were seldom encouraging. Some have ceased 
to sow wheat and the cultivation of Hungarian grass has been almost 
abandoned. A gentleman living in this county has invented what he 
calls a “Chinch-bug Trap.” I am not altogether without faith in his 
device, and mean to give it a trial and will report results. If the trap 
proves to be a success the name of Leman H. France will be enrolled 
among the benefactors of his race. 
“5th. I am not prepared to answer this question; but I will make 
a careful inquiry, and then give you an estimate that I will try and 
make reliable. I may say, however, in a general way, that the annual 
* As the last brood passes the winter in the perfect state and appears in the spring, there were 
really but two broods during the year. 
