63 
There must be concert of action on the part of all the farmers in each 
neighborhood; as soon as the pests are noticed by one, warning should 
be given to others, and a systematic attack should be made. The 
grangers and farmers’ clubs, organized throughout the country, afford 
an excellent means of obtaining this concert, as well as giving timely 
warning of the aj3pearance of the pest. 
As a general thing, farmers wait until the enemy is upon them in 
full force before they ask for advice. While the entomologist may 
and does sympathize with them in their troubles, yet he is nothing- 
more than a man, possessed of no superhuman power. The advan¬ 
tage of his scientific knowledge does not consist in inventing means 
of destroying devastating hordes, but in devising means, from his 
knowledge of the habits of the species for preventing their develop¬ 
ment. 
Dr. LeBaron discusses somew’hat fully the different proposed reme¬ 
dies, but unfortunately the report that contains the article does not 
appear to have been generally distributed and is now out of print. I 
have therefore concluded to give the following somew T hat lengthy Quot¬ 
ation from his article. 
As will be seen, he does not place the same reliance upon burning 
that I do. Still I have not, as yet, seen any reason to change my 
opinion, the only matter of doubt in my mind being as to the most 
propitious time. It is quite probable that the fall, before they have 
[eft the fields, will be the best time. This is a matter yet undeter¬ 
mined. 
* The Plan of Sowing Grain so early in the Spring as to get in advance of 
their depredations. 
“The well known fact that winter wheat generally matures before 
he young brood of Chinch-bugs makes its appearance, and thus escapes 
heir ravages, naturally suggested the idea that the same end might 
)e accomplished with respect to spring wheat, if the seed could be got 
nto the ground very early in the spring. However plausible this 
opposition may appear, the experiences of the past season would 
eem to show that any reliance based upon it must prove, in a great 
neasure, fallacious. Notwithstanding that the last spring w r as dry 
md favorable for the early sowing of grain, and notwithstanding that 
t is universally understood by farmers that the earlier wheat can be 
own the better for the crop, and therefore it may be presumed that 
rheat was sown unusually early, yet the result could scarcely have been 
nore disastrous. I am not prepared to say that nothing can be gained 
>y this course, but in view of the experiences of the past season, I do 
lot see how we can place much reliance upon this method of escaping 
he ravages of the Chinch-bug. 
“In this connection we may advert to the plan of sowing certain 
timulating substances, such as salt and lime, with the seed for the 
>urpose of hastening the growth and the ripening of the grain. It has 
Iso been supposed that a pretty heavy dressing with such materials 
eight render the soil obnoxious to the bugs. I have known of at- 
empts being made to protect corn from the bugs, by the application 
