24 Farmers9 Bulletin 1126.

one hour in this solution, which should be stirred occasionally. Then the sacks are taken out and drained, after which the seed is spread upon a clean floor or canvas to dry. When "dry the seed can be sown, but care must be used to see that, after the treatment, it does not come in contact with any smut-infected sacks. Such seed treatment is profitable only for planting fields intended for seed production.

INSECT ENEMIES OF SUDAN GRASS.9

GRASSHOPPERS.

In parts of the United States where grasshoppers are abundant they do considerable damage to Sudan grass. These grasshoppers

are chiefly native species which hatch out in the vicinity. The culti- vation of fields and fence rows late in the fall or in early winter destroys large quantities of the eggs and helps to keep these pests in check. The most effective method of controlling the grasshopper is by poisoned bran mash. This poisoned mash is made up as follows :

Bran _ pounds__ 25 Paris green or white arsenic : do 1 Molasses __quarts— 2 Oranges or lemons (finely chopped) number__ 6 Water gallons— 3¿ The Paris green and bran are thoroughly mixed dry in some re- ceptacle, such as a washtub. The juice of the oranges or lemons is squeezed into the water, the pulp and peeling chopped fine and added, after which some strong-smelling molasses is dissolved in the water, and the poisoned bran is moistened with this solution.

Early in the morning is the best time to scatter this damp mash about fields where the grasshoppers are troublesome. The quantity described in the foregoing formula is sufficient for 4 or 5 acres.

CHINCH BUG.

The chinch bug, though not as frequently troublesome as the grass- hopper, does considerable damage when it is abundant. A field of Sudan grass can be protected from a threatened invasion of chinch bugs by means of a deep furrow plowed around the edges of the field, the land side of the plow being toward the field. Holes with per-

pendicular sides are then dug across the bottom of the ditch at intervals of 30 to 40 ieet. The chinch bugs in attempting to cross this furrow collect in the holes and can be destroyed by an applica- tion of kerosene oil.

Chinch bugs commonly pass the winter at the base of bunches of grass and in the piles of trash usually found along fences and hedge-

9 This discussion of insects was prepared with the advice and cooperation of W. R. Walton, Entomologist in Charge, Cereal and Forage Insect Investigations, Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of Agriculture.