THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
29 
FIGHTING THE CHINCH BUG WITH FIRE 
The chinch bug cost the state of Missouri, approximately $5,000,000 
this year. Unless immediate steps are taken to destroy the swarms 
which are living over during the winter this loss will be greatly increased 
next year. 
Between now and December ist, all meadows, pastures, roads, 
waste lands and other fields, which are heavily overgrown, should be 
careftrlly examined for the hibernating chinch bugs. Those fields near 
wheat and corn fields which were infested last summer should be 
examined with special care. The insects hide deep down in clumps of 
grass, under leaves and rubbish and in many cases their presence can be 
detected from the disagreeable odor of the crushed bugs, even before one 
finds them in their hiding places. 
Wherever they are found, the fields should be burned over imme- 
idately and carefully so that every possible shelter will be destroyed. 
The wind should not be too strong so that the heat will penetrate down 
into the clumps of grass and make a clean job. Farmers should co¬ 
operate in burning over all public highways and railroad right-of-ways 
in the infested regions. With careful, systematic burning of all harbor¬ 
ing places in the fall, a large per cent of the millions of hibernating bugs 
will be killed by the heat directly and many more left exposed to the 
winter. After each and every farmer has done all he can to destroy the 
pest during the winter, the fight will be well enough started so that, if 
taken up in time next summer, the injury from the pests may be greatly 
reduced. 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT. OF AGRICULTURE 
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 
Washington, D. C. 
December 5, 1912. 
Hearing on Proposed Quarantine Against Sugar Cane 
The attention of the Federal Horticultural Board has been called 
by the Bureau of Plant Industry and the Bureau of Entomology to the 
fact that dangerous plant diseases and insect pests are liable to be 
introduced into the United States on sugar cane brought into this coun¬ 
try. Therefore, in accordance with the Plant Quarantine Act of August 
20, 1912, a public hearing will be held to consider the advisability of 
restricting or prohibiting the importation of sugar cane into the United 
States. If the proposed quarantine is established it will probably 
restrict or prohibit the importation of all sugar cane plants and parts of 
plants from foreign countries into the United States, including Porto 
Rico and Hawaii, and also from Porto Rico and Hawaii into the con¬ 
tinental United States. 
The public hearing on the proposed quarantine against sugar cane 
will be held at the Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., on 
January 7, 1913, at 10 o’clock, a. m. At this.hearing those interested 
may appear and be heard either in person or by attorney in relation to 
the proposed quarantine. 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 
Washington, D. C. 
December 4, 1912. 
Notice of Public Hearing on the Mexican Orange Fruit Fly 
The Department of Agriculture has information that a dangerous 
fruit fly known as Trypeta ludens, which attacks oranges, mangoes, 
peaches, guavas, plums, sweet limes, and other fruits and vegetables, is 
widely distributed in Mexico and may be introduced at any time into 
the United States. 
The State of California has established a quarantine prohibiting the 
entry into the State of the products mentioned from Mexcio and 
Central American ports, and has provided for the confiscation and 
destruction of such fruits wherever found in California. Mexican 
fruits, particularly oranges, are,, however, now coming into the United 
States in quantities from Mexico, through various gulf ports, and being 
widely distributed. Furthermore, the investigation of this insect by Ex¬ 
perts of the Department of Agriculture and others, has fully established 
the danger of the importation and establishment of this fruit fly in citrus 
districts bordering the gulf from whence it could esaily be carried to 
other states. 
Under Section 7 of the Plant Quarantine Act of August 20, 1912, it 
becomes the duty of the Secretary of Agriculture to consider the advisa¬ 
bility of restricting or prohibiting the importation from Mexico of the 
fruits and vegetables mentioned and others that may carry the insect. 
In compliance with the Act, a public hearing will be held at the 
Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., at ten o’clock on Janu¬ 
ary 8, 1913, in order that all persons interested may have an opportunity 
to appear and be heard concerning the establishment of a quarantine on 
certain fruits coming from Mexico into the United .States, to prevent the 
introduction of the Mexican fruit fly Trypeta ludens. 
The U. S. Department of Agriculture has issued a report on the 
Soil Survey of Monroe County, New York, made by the Bureau of Soils 
in co-operation with the officials of the New York State College of Agri¬ 
culture. The county is located along the southern shore of Lake 
Ontario. 
The Dunkirk soils are suited to all general farm crops and furnish the 
bulk of the fruit soils of the county. The Dunkirk silt loam is the best 
for apples and pears, and is the best soil for nurseries. The fine sandy 
loam, fine sand, and the lighter phase of the silt loam are the best for the 
production of peaches and cherries. The silt clay loam and heavier 
areas of silt loam arc best for grain and grass crops, while the fine sand 
and fine sandy loam are the best suitecl for potatoes. 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 
Washington, D. C. 
November 25, 1912. 
“The situation which confronts the wood-using industries embraces 
conditions which are certain to work against the continuation of the 
present methods of production and organization. The influence of 
some of these is already felt to a degree that makes continued profits 
along present lines extremely uncertain,’’ is the statement made in 
Bulletin 120, Forest Service, soon to be issued by Secretary Wilson. 
The document deals with tendencies of forest utilization. Continuing, 
the bulletin says: “Production has outrun consumption until a condi¬ 
tion of over-supply has been reached. This has prevailed without 
much change for four years. 
“Side by side with the present overcutting exists an excess capacity 
of production, amounting in some of the principal timber states to from 
50 to 100 per cent. This excess of capacity facilitates over-production 
whenever conditions become in any way favorable. 
“Efforts to safeguard the timber supply against the ill effects of 
fire, windfall, insects, and wasteful lumbering have been successful to 
a degree which insures a continuation of the timber supply for many 
years to come. 
“The increased use of substitutes for wood has brought the demand 
for lumber almost, if not quite, to a standstill and promises still further 
to decrease the demand in the future. 
“Prices for medium and low grades of lumber have remained practi¬ 
cally at a standstill since 1907 and cannot advance to any extent with¬ 
out opening the door still wider to substitutes. 
“It is obvious that future profits must come from increased utiliza¬ 
tion—from the manufacture of products which will absorb the material 
now wasted or utilized without profit—rather than from increased 
prices. Mere adjustment of total supplj'^ to demand will scarcely meet 
the situation. A method must be found to limit for each grade the 
quantity produced to that actually needed for consumption. With 
higher grades this will not be difficult; there exists no oversupply in 
these. Year by year the quantity required is about the same as that 
produced. It is with medium and low grades that the difficulty will 
come. It is in their case that oversupply prevails and competition 
rules. To reduce the quantity of low grades it will be necessary to 
find other avenues of use for the material w'hich now goes into them. 
Obviously, the problem calls for the most thorough study. Possible 
starting points, however, are not lacking. One such point is found in 
