461
.U57
ENT

a (gy |

THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS,

LAWRENCE.

Ce pete i

HX PERIMENTAL STATION.

PUCHTIE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR

Dopp & Gree NOw.,
Director,

CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF THE CHINCH BUG.

(Tllustrated.)

_ LAWRENCE, KANSAS,
May, 1895.

ef \T THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, Experiee
{ ieee

EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR,

FOR THE YEARA894.

Hts SN Ow,

CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF THE CHINCH BUG.

LAWRENCE, KAS.,
May, 1895.

PRESS OF THE HAMILTON PRINTING COMPANY:
: _ TOPEKA, KAS. |
EDWIN H. Snow, State Printer.

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

rine EN OR _Kas., April 5, 1895.

_ Yours respectfully,
. F. H. SNOW,

Director of the Experimental Station.

Pigs: shall be verified.
‘Bo. 3. The said chancellor shail also make a fall report to the eran (

“pals ise his experiments.
iets 4, This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its publi

coer

°

Sal

cs
4
a
mR
Ye

ae

=

we) OR See
o Naeeeeeen

et oan 2
toes
o4 -

EXPERIMENTS WITH CHINCH-BUG INFECTION IN 1894.

I. SUMMARY OF RESULTS.

1—Extent of Experiments.

During the year 1894, field experiments for the destruction of chinch
bugs by the artificial introduction of contagious disease have been prose-
cuted upon a larger scale than in any preceding year. No fewer than 8,000
packages of infection were sent out to individual farmers in Kansas, Mis-
souri, and Oklahoma territory. The states of Nebraska, lowa, Missouri
and Illinois having followed the example of Kansas in the establishment
of distributing stations, the demand from those states upon the Kansas sta-

tion was very much smaller than it otherwise would have been, although

the demand from the state of Missouri was larger than in any preceding
year.

In addition to the distribution of infected material from the central sta-
tion at the State University, 50 auxiliary distributing stations were estab-
lished, in as many different counties in Kansas and Missouri, 38 of these

‘stations being located in Kansas and 12 in Missouri. It was anticipated

that the establishment of these substations would reduce the demand upon
the central station, but this anticipation was not realized, as large numbers
of farmers apparently preferred to make certain that the infection was gen-
uine by obtaining it from the laboratory of the central station.

2.—Is the Chinch Bug Moving North ?

The demand for infection from the laboratory from the southern third
of the state of Kansas was far less extensive than in the preceding years.
Not a single application for the establishment of a substation was received

. from the counties of Barber, Harper, Kingman, Sedgwick, Sumner, Butler,

Cowley, Elk, Chautauqua, Montgomery, Neosho, Labette, Crawford, and
Cherokee.

In the year 1893, individual farmers from the above-named counties sent
in applications for infection to the number of 1,303; in the year 1894, less
than 15 per cent. of that number, or a total of only 195 applications, were
received from the same area. A trip to Labette county the last week in
June convinéed the writer that the falling off in the number of applications
from this district was not from loss of faith in the good effects of the infec-
tion, but from the almost entire disappearance of the bugs. Indeed, the

(7)

8 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

majority of the farmers attributed the small number of chinch bugs to she
good effects produced by the infection in the preceding year. That the un- : is
injurious numbers of chinch bugs in the counties named was not due to
meteorological causes is indicated by the fact that substantially the same :
conditions of temperature and rainfall prevailed over the whole of eastern
Kansas up to the time of the writer’s visit to Labette county. |

That the chinch-bug area had moved to the northeast is indicated by the
fact that a much greater number of applications for infection was received __
from the northeastern counties in 1894 than in any preceding year. From
the following counties, in 1894, 1,123 applications for infection were received,
as compared with 462 applications in the year 1893: Johnson, Douglas,
Wyandotte, Leavenworth, Jefferson, Atchison, Doniphan, Brown, Pottawat-
omie, Nemaha, Marshall, and Washington. There was thus, in the year
1894, a decrease of 85 per cent. in the amount of infection sent to the
-southern counties, and an increase of 140 per cent. in the amount sent to
the northern counties.

3—The Establishment of Substations.

A large portion of the 38 substations located in Kansas were established’
by the county commissioners of the counties in which they were located.
Among this class were stations in Allen, Barton, Dickinson, Lyon, Miami,
Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Reno, Rush and Saline counties.

No substation was allowed to be established unless the individual who
was to take charge of the station should first have visited the laboratory of
the central station for the purpose of obtaining instruction as to the identi-
fication of the true parasitic fungus as compared with other fungi readily
mistaken for the genuine parasite by an uninstructed observer, and also as
to the proper method of propagating the infection at the substation.

4.—Results of Experiments.

It is estimated that each of the 50 substations supplied an average of 300
farmers with infection. This gives a total of more than 15,000 farmers sup-
plied with infection from the substations. If to these be added the number
supplied from the central station, it appears that upwards of 20,000 farmers
in the chinch-bug area were supplied with infection during the year 1894..
Reports have been received at the central station from upwards of 3,000
experimenters. About 55 per cent. of these reports are favorable, and in-
dicate an immense saving of crops consequent upon the use of the infection
sent out from the central station. The reports from the substations are vari- _
able in their character. Inasmuch as the majority of these substations were
not established until late in the season, the dry weather and hot winds of _
July and August seriously interfered with the success of the infection sent
out from such stations, The substations which were established*early inthe _
season reported much more favorable results. The substations should be iy

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. | 9

established at a very early date in the season in order to secure the best re-
sults. Asa rule, the agents in charge of the substations reported that where
the experimenters carefully followed the directions successful results were
obtained. It is too often the case that the experimenter departs from the
letter of his instructions at almost every point, and charges failure to some
defect in the character of the infection. Persistent effort in carrying out
the details of the method is as essential to success in field experiments for
the destruction of the chinch bug as in any other legitimate agricultural
enterprise.

5.—Field Experiments Conducted by Central Station.

During the season of 1894, for the first time since the beginning of our
experiments, the chinch bugs have attacked fields in the immediate vicinity
of our laboratory. This gave us the first opportunity of conducting an ex-
periment which could be under our own personal supervision from begin-
ning toend. Inasmuch as this may be taken as a standard example of the
manner in which the Sporotrichum works in the field, I will append the fol-
lowing notes.

Whee Hrd

- The field experimented upon was a cornfield 100 rods in length, a por-
tion of which joined the University campus, and the remainder a wheat
field, from which the wheat was cut on June 20. When the wheat was cut
it was noticed for the first time that chinch bugs were abundant in the
wheat. They moved immediately from the wheat field into the adjacent
cornfield, belonging to another owner. The bugs were first noticed by him
in the corn in large force, in both A and B, blackening the stalks, on Sat
urday, June 23. The bugs were in about 20 rows in field A, and about 10
rows in field B. A strip of potatoes between corn in field B and the wheat
field had hindered the bugs in their progress into B. The contents of one
of the laboratory boxes of the 24 by 86 by 6 inches dimension was taken

10 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATI ON. 3

out, earth and all, and used for the infection of these fields, on the morning
of Saturday, June 23. In field A, the infection was put in the axils of the

leaves, and at the bases of the stalks of every hill of rows 4 and 5 and 7 :

and 9; in field B, the same was done for rows 2 and 3.

Search was made before distributing the infection for possible Sporo- : i

trichum bugs, already spontaneously in the field, but none were found. Pre-
viously to June 23 there had been frequent rains, so that the ground was
moist at this time. On the night of June 23 heavy rain fell, and again on
the afternoon and night of June 24. The afternoon rain was accompanied
with heavy hail. The night rain of the 24th was driven by a strong west
wind, so that the corn was laid flat in places. The field was visited on the
afternoon of the 25th, and the bugs were found in as good condition and as
numerous as on the 25d. It was the intention to scatter more infection on
the 25th, but a rain storm came, and further infection was deferred. On
the morning of June 26, a bucket of soil was taken from the infection box
and scattered in each hill of rows 9, 10, and 15, field A. At this time the
bugs appeared in good condition, and no signs of the spread of the infection
were apparent. The bugs had advanced somewhat into a third field, C, and
infection was scattered down row 15 of this field for the few rods the bugs
extended, and also in different places in row 15. The morning of June 26
was warm and clear.

On the morning of June 28, a bucket of earth from the infection box
was scattered at every alternate hill through row 18 of field A, and at in-
tervals of every two or three hills through rows 1 and 2. Only a few Sporo.
bugs could as yet be found. The bugs were working in great force. Un-
der clods and fallen stalks and leaves large numbers of the bugs were gath-
ered for moulting. Most of the bugs on the standing corn were black larve
and pup, but there were a few red larve and a few old, winged and newly
molted, winged individuals. The morning was clear and warm. A slight
shower on the night of the 27th. Earth moist in the field.

July 2.— Bugs from the infection boxes sufficient to infect each hill for
two rows were scattered in field A where the bugs were thickest out to the
fifty-second row, the bugs having extended to that distance. A few white-
fungus bugs could be found at nearly every hill. The bugs were ap-
parently not more than half as numerous as when the field was first infected,
but they had scattered as far as the fifty-second row, and this may account
for the apparent decrease. Bugs were continually hatching and moulting
at this time.

July 5.—There was a heavy rain on the morning of the 4th. Bugs cov-
ered with Sporotrichum can be found in great quantity under fallen corn-
_ stalks and clods. One and one half gross of pill boxes were filled from the
field to-day. The victims are chiefly old bugs, but not all.

July 9.— More Sporo. bugs were scattered along the advance line of the

the chinch bugs. The bugs had made very little headway since the 2d of —

———

ate $5 eee eee

coy

ae. nd

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 11

July. From two to three gross of infection boxes are filled with Sporo. from
this field daily. The bugs, both old and young, seem to be but sparingly
present in the field. Here and there a very few live bugs may be found in
the axils of the leaves and under clods. .

July 13.— The Sporo. is continually increasing in the field, but there is a
larger number of live bugs on the corn in places than could be seen on the
9th.

July 16.—There was a heavy rain on the 15th. There are plenty of
sporo. bugs for picking, and pickers are still at work, and have not ceased
since they began, on the 5th.

July 18.—Sporo. is increasing all over the field, but the bugs are numer-
ous in occasional spots throughout the field. These bugs are of all ages,
but adults greatly predominate. The dead bugs or mummies gathered by
the pickers now include large numbers of little red bugs as well as the
pupz and the adults. . ‘

July 22.— A visit to the field shows the live bugs reduced to a satisfac-
tory minimum; probably not more than 1 to 2 per cent. remain of the num-
ber which blackened the stalks for from two to three feet above the ground
for 20 rows when the infection was first introduced. The entire field prom-
ises an abundant crop of corn, and even the outer rows, where the attack
was most severe, are well.eared and luxuriant in foliage.

From this field the pickers had already gathered 7,000 boxes, and might
have gathered 25,000, of Sporotrichum-covered bugs, as a reserve stock for
early distribution to the farmers for use in the wheat fields in the spring of
1895. If in every township in the state of Kansas infested with chinch
bugs a similar gathering should be made by the township trustees, and dis-
tributed to the farmers early in the spring, the chinch bug would soon be
reduced to an uninjurious minimum.

6.—The Method of Infection.

The method of infecting chinch bugs with Sporotrichum globuliferum in
the laboratory and in the field during last year was essentially the same as
the method described in our last report, with the exception of a few details.
Clean, friable garden soil was used in the boxes to maintain the proper hu-
midity, instead of excelsior, leaves, etc., as formerly.. All substances liable
to decay were excluded, and the green wheat and corn used were removed
as soon as they turned yellow. Even with these precautions, the odor of
ammonia, due probably to the decay of the bugs, could be detected in the

‘boxes. Sporotrichum does not flourish under such conditions, and whenever

the odor of ammonia was detected the boxes were cleaned out and left ex-
posed to dry air for a day or two, and then started anew. The soil was
spread over*the bottom of the boxes to the depth of about an inch, and
kept moist and friable, but never allowed to become muddy.

Dead bugs covered with Sporotrichum are found at all depths in the soil

12 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION. —

.

of the boxes, and in stripping the boxes of infected bugs the soil was care-
fully raked over and picked from after the fungus-covered bugs had been
gathered from the surface. In this way the number of fungus-covered bugs
which a single infection box was capable of yielding was greatly increased, }
and at the same time the soil was kept in a loose and friable condition and yor ua
well aerated throughout, a condition necessary to the best development of Westra
the fungus, since a liberal supply of oxygen is essential to it. 5: SONG

In infecting fields under our personal supervision, we found it an sual i
lent plan to remove half of the earth with its contents of Sporotrichum-cov-
ered bugs from the infection boxes, and to work the soil over thoroughly, in
order to distribute the spores through it as evenly as possible, and then to
seatter this soil at intervals where the bugs were most numerous in the
fields. A new supply of soil and healthy bugs was put into the infection mabe)
‘boxes, and on the following day the second half was distributed in the field =
and the box replenished as before.

By the method just outlined, our infection boxes worked more satisfac-
torily than in any previous year, and we were able to supply wisktont any
delay the largest demand ever made upon us. |

: 7.— Artificial Cultures.

In regard to artificial cultures of Sporotrichwm, it was found that the
fungus would grow on all the nutrient substances tried, but especially well
on Irish potato and squash. Turnip, onion, sweet potato, horse and rabbit
dung, and decoctions of various substances, taken alone or stiffened with
agar agar, were tried successfully, but the vegetables gave a more vigorous
growth than the other media. Plate I, figure 1, is from a photograph of a
culture of Sporotrichum grown on squash; figure 2 shows a growth on Irish
potato. Plate II, figures 1 and 9, show Sporotrichum grown on the surface
of a liquid decoction of squash; figure 2 shows a growth on rabbit dung;
figure 3 on horse dung; figure 4 on squash; figures 5 and 8, Sporotrichum
growing on Irish potato, transferred from a growth found on an insect in a
wood near a cultivated field on January 10, 1895; figure 6 shows a culture
on turnip, and figure 7 on onion.

Experiments made during the fall of 1894 in infecting chinch bugs with
Sporotrichum grown on nutrient substances, while not conclusive, indicated
that the fungus thus cultivated does not lose its power of killing insects.
Experiments were made with Sporotrichum grown on Irish potatoes, horse
dung, and other substances, and the bugs used were collected in September
and October, 1894. In some cases, the first remove of Sporotrichum from
the growth on the bug was used; im others, the second, third and fourth re-
moves were employed. In several of these experiments where Sporotrichum
of the fourth remove grown on horse dung was used the bugs exposed to the
infection became covered with a growth of the fungus, but ofly in small
numbers, and after a relatively long time. Check experiments, in which

\
my
ee
i
a
“a

v

\

a

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 13

show a greater mortality among the bugs introduced than the artificial cul-
ture experiments. The experiments could not be repeated on account of
the lack of bugs at that season, so the results were not confirmed.

&§.—Experiments in Spraying.

In March, 1895, chinch bugs were found in considerable numbers in sev-
eral localities, hibernating under stones, pieces of wood, and the like, in the

" vicinity of cornfields. They were especially numerous in places where the

stones, etc., lay on grass or stubble, so that there was a dry shelter between
the stones and the ground. Bugs found in these places were sprayed with
water mixed with Sporotrichum spores grown on squash; others were
sprinkled with dry spores in the same manner. <A week later it was found
that many bugs in the places infected were dead and covered with Sporo-
trichum, while no trace of fungus-covered bugs could be found in places not
infected. This experiment suggests the possibility of infecting bugs before
they leave their winter quarters. The method of scattering the spores of
the disease in a fine spray of water, which appears to be successful in the
above experiment, may prove to-be a much more efficient means of spread-
ing the infection than we have yet employed.

The results thus obtained in the field are sustained by the following lab-
oratory experiments:

On March 19, 1895, chinch bugs, found hibernating under the shelter of
stones and grass in the vicinity of fields infested by them the previous sea-
son were put in flower pots containing moist earth, about 50 bugs in each
pot. The bugs in pot 1 were sprayed with distilled water; in pot 2 with
distilled water containing the spores from the squash culture shown in plate
I; in pot 3, with spores from the squash culture shown in plate I which
had been in a 5 per cent. solution of grape sugar for 24 hours and had com-
menced to sprout; to pot 4 were added a few Sporotrichum bugs which had
been kept over from the previous year. Although a few white-fungus-cov-
ered bugs appeared in the check lot of pot 1, a greater number appeared in
pot 2 where Sporotrichwm spores were sprayed in distilled water, and still a
much greater number in pot 3 where the spores had been sprouted ina
sugar solution and then sprayed, and both of the artificial cultures of pots
2 and 3 gave better results than were obtained in pot 4, where Sporotrichum
growing on chinch bugs was used for infection. We do not look upon this
single experiment as at all conclusive, and have others in progress at the
present writing. If the method of spreading the infection by spraying
proves successful j in the field, and particularly by the spraying of sprouting
spo is possible that the infection may prove successful even in dry
weather. If the bugs in the field are thoroughly sprayed with the sprout-
ing spores in the evening, it is possible that the fungus, aided by the mois-

the ordinary method of infecting with diseased bugs was employed, did not —

AX

14 STATE UNIVERSITY .EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

ture and nutriment of the sugar solution, may penetrate the body of the
bug before the heat of the morning sun can prevent it.

-When once established inside the body of a bug, the death of the bug 4,3
would be pretty certain to result, whatever the conditions of the weather.

Plate III, figure 1, and plate IV, figures 1 and 2, show the appearance of the :
fungus within the bug’s body. ae ash
Preparations are now being made to carry out field experiments alone ae:
this line on a large scale. ae
These preliminary experiments are given here as possibly useful sugges- ee
tions to other experimenters. is

II. REPORTS FROM SUB-STATIONS. ! | JMS

As mentioned before, each agent in charge of a sub-station was required
to visit the central station before starting his infection boxes. He was re-
quired to report at various intervals the condition of his station, and occa-
sionally was called upon for samples of the infection he was furnishing

from his boxes. In this way, a check was kept upon the substation agents ,
which proved of great benefit to the country in which the station was con- es
ducted. The following were the stations established during the pastseason, =
and the agents thereat: -
UNOAINS HGR wicintotere, a Neleis eke dia's HWM POTiBs.\c'. heim iaciicees Lyon county, Kas. "
CULE AC ES aa Huber, Mo. i ae
Amberg, Jacob.............. Lydia, O. T. | Ree
PAV OEM gy ah eletaisioje' +) ale, olaicle 's gee EM Doradojes fovescienat Butler county, Kas. ‘e
Barber Brose: jc... 5. <6 ils. ois Da Cygne sis Jel taeleh ietets Linn county, Kas. A
Becker, C. L. & Co........... Ottawa ees eee eee Franklin county, Kas. “A
VEN Ws NN Ei ie ai ce wie beni aie shticse’s Adair, I. T. ; 3
Bixby & McDowell........... Hardy, Neb. BY
pad bury, Vues Petes octets vee She EBOIGs c\staeluemiaate serie .. Miami county, Kas. a: *
Britenstine, Chas............ El Doradosck).(s ne hele Butler county, Kas. sh
BTOOKES UH sO. Ses Soule icel aie Da Crossesiisc., sees Rush county, Kas.

Grancallor da. (Ope Soe eevee Liberal, Mo.

Wowmans By Hy) spd eee OBbOrNG. scan Aas ee Osborne county, Kas.

TE VES OR Se a ee tee aa ee Warrensburg, Mo. a
IDrebars, sl ran ky.) soieeiie's oes iInrekar te ae neeeen tan Greenwood county, Kas. |
Dickinson, ‘BAL, vesienealee Quenemoraeemiotsie le Osage county, Kas. Me
DanwoOdy, Js L.. 2.5. cde ss Lamar, Mo.
AEE VAATAE sve) as tIVE or clesainipate fel teapena/ssiy ers Burlington’ 2. sh jissjers ale Coffey county, Kas.

Hindley; sRObt.ry us sa siete PI LOLLID aye vr ccsemetele yale ts Rice county, Kas.

Gilmore; Mi oH, 3g leye sie sic taowe Scottsville). oi. oss. nes Mitchell county, Kas.

Goahys: GeO: «025i. oo oe wie pe Pleasant Hill, Mo.

MAELN, HDIOTUIA St? Ua fatnie (21210 6 4¢ chain's nhs Multone 54 2st sts Sei Bourbon county, Kas. | ,
ELBE FNS ieiceietaes » bavente lees Great (Bend suo vests Barton eounty, Kas.

BPEL TCH OY, Biz) O wiv), ais wietoners's, sisisiele AUD ILONO oie tas fey cterels wlio Dickinson county, Kas.

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 15
HO ppt Aa Dire} cs hee. so MOADGIOS. tes ees! ....... Republic county, Kas.
EDT yr OB) Mnicta/stae. Wc sis! tees Carbondale............ Osage county, Kas.
Hutchinson, Kate............ OM Bie Paiiraeherccheereses re Pottawatomie county, Kas.
Jones & Son.... ci. cee Colony ................ Anderson county, Kas.
Knaus, Warren.............. MoPhersonits se Paes us McPherson county, Kas.
MATES EN fakic acces el ei giee ve were Peabody............... Marion county, Kas.
MIB WIVOTy UPD <.c/nc. 0c cle selec a0 0s TG] eho sits, ct dralieyevcrataonnvatane skate Allen county, Kas.
IO ATIVINVc No cists isierejeisye/eiisie tts BCLOM copes ose aj aieletarel mers Mitchell county, Kas.
MAL ZAPU Biotcie ors ipicic. esos ioiehabeve.s A MOLRUOWD s «aves lst 0'er es ui Lincoln county, Kas.
TEVONSs ORM fi vis ayes, slels,© Ola thew eecvcicias sea slee Johnson county, Kas.
AVION ADs Glos circa eles ie viet os ae ET OMGONGiepats's) oie sinh ols wtayie’ st ae Jackson county, Kas.
INFEST EDs) Cr eis cis icieie sissnre aie wre Butler, Mo.
Perry, B. F.......,. eM POIOR tM rice ard b croenes ee Jefferson county, Kas.
RBMISOY, UA cc icc es epee cons GATNGL Ss. aictew dele cable ete Anderson county, Kas.
OSG NO 2 SE aR. A Saline county, Kas.
BOM OM OLE Locks ceric ise aica ss elele Minneapolis............ Ottawa county, Kas.
EON CO. Oi alied vcsiiagepelee Burlington............. Coffey county, Kas.
PUPEEEGHS | AS 2 Jo) aie ord a slealicleish aise EVD OTA). 2!2 5.1-)<<-210s 0 Butler county, Kas.
DAO ela EU it) vanaleVeraretwpeie\alciets Fairland, I. T.
PALES VAY chetsrareitinjoeiat share) sjenoresals Hutchinson ........... Reno county, Kas.
Valentine, D. A.............. ‘Clay MONEE a. abaleisieraclale Clay county, Kas.
Wardlide Micka oc oss. - at et Cornelia, Mo.
WatBONS iH). (Grin. ccivre. ce ale ne we Mound City............ Linn county, Kas.
Wiellon pM by yhon (500.0 sieiees/v'ele Windsor, Mo.
Woodward, H:'O..s. 3 oi5.5.55 Pes per? ieee teink eee fee Douglas county, Kas.
pant es F EANOE 2 ave sine otiaiiclstaaqacoiers TAG ONTA s/o 3275, cise Winiorsiels Wilson county, Kas.

Of the above list, several stations were discontinued shortly after their
establishment. Others were merely distributing points for infection in the
original packages as sent out by the central station. From such stations as
constituted the regular sub-stations the reports following have been obtained.
These reports are published here to show in detail the manner of conducting
these stations and the results of the work of each agent.

Station Reports.

C. L. Becker & Co., Oltawa.— Our infection box was started on May 16, at which
time the weather was still cold, and it was very difficult to procure live bugs. On
account of the cold weather at this time the bugs did not become infected until after
two weeks, when the white fungus commenced to develop. This we found was has-
tened when a little dampened soil was first placed in the box. The infected bugs
that had the white fungus on them were distributed among the farmers of this
county. The bugs in the fields did not multiply to any extent until about the 9th
of June, at which time we had a warm rain, which brought the young bugs out of
the ground by the millions. The farmers began harvesting their small grain about
the 13th of June, and as soon as the grain had been cut the bugs immediately started
for the neighboring cornfields. At this time we had a greater demand for infected
bugs than we could supply, and were favored with an additional number of boxes of
infected bugs from the Station, at Lawrence. These we also gave out to the farm-
ers, distributing in all about 400 boxes, and requested a report from each person
receiving the infection. Although we have notified the farmers through the press
that their reports were now desired, we have not been successful in procuring as

4

16 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION. _ mn

many as we had hoped for. The weather was extremely dry during the latter part H
of the summer, so that it was not the most favorable for the development of the
fungus. The reports that we have been able to obtain are conflicting, but the ma-
jority either report a partial success or a complete failure. We distributed the in-
fection in several fields of our own, with only poor results, which we attributed to

the unfavorable weather.

Bixby & McDowell, Hardy, Neb.— We inoculated bugs at our place of business Read
and gave them to farmers whose crops were being destroyed. From their reports, Ras
about 75 per cent. of the bugs received from us infected fields of bugs and almost
completely destroyed them. A few failed to infect at all, and others only partially.
Weather was dry; no dampness at all. From our observations, we believe the inoc-
ulation successful, although not without continued attention to details. We saved
possibly 800 acres of corn and 200 of wheat. The bushels we saved we cannot de-
termine, as the season developed an almost complete failure of both crops experi-
mented upon. Allowing 10 bushels of wheat and 15 of corn, it would make 2,000
bushels of wheat and 12,000 of corn saved. ;

L. T., Bradbury, Paola.— The station here was closed the 14th day of July; up
to that date 262 orders have been sent out from the station; out of this number
only 89 reported to me in any way. Out of this number 70 were successful in full
or in part; 10 were decidedly unsuccessful and the parties would not try it again;
nine were doubtful, but expressed a willingness to work withit. It seems a small
per cent. to report, but these were all I could get to report; yet every farmer who
received the infection here got explicit instructions in regard to reporting. This
demonstrates, however, to the farmers of our county, that the disease is a success
if used properly. I think it will cause more of them to try it next year. I have
found that some farmers, after finding that there was some work connected with -
the infection, took it home and did not try to use it at all. The weather I believe
has as a general thing been favorable for the infection all the spring and summer,
being slightly damp all the time except early in the spring. If the value of the in-
fection could be estimated in any way, it would, I think, amount to thousands of .
dollars in this county alone.

F. C. Brooks, La Crosse.—The infection box worked nicely. All my expectations
and hopes were realized, so far as infecting the bugs in the box was concerned.
The weather being very dry during the time or season of infection, it is impossible
for me to give satisfactory information. Station established July 10, and contin-
ued for three months. Quite a number were supplied with infected bugs during
that time, but I have not received any authentic reports from anyone supplied as
to the success of the efforts put forth. In different parts of the county, especially ¥
where bugs were to be found in large quantities, the infection was used successfully ‘)
—at least this is the idea of many individuals; and further, there is some evidence
that in one locality the bugs were destroyed by the same disease, yet no one in the
immediate neighborhood had put forth any effort to infect them. We have con-
siderable faith in the destruction of the bug by the infection, but here in the west, aK
where the atmosphere is so dry and conditions are naturally unfavorable to the de-
velopment of the disease, it will be necessary for us to take advantage of the season,
and commence early and try to infect’the bugs in the spring, while the wheat plant —
is growing, and thereby improve the advantage of a damp or wet season, which is
considered quite necessary to success. I give this last idea as to beginning in the
early spring as the most important. ‘

FOURTH ANNUAL REPOR T. hig

C. C. Brosius, Hays City.—Your card to J. H. Ward handed to me. Mr. Ward
gave the matter up, and the commissioners handed it over tome. I put my boxes
up and procured the chinch bugs and started in. Here is the working of it: I put
52 packages of infected bugs among the farmers. They report 21 that worked fine,
and the balance, I think, did not get the care they should have had.

H. C. Chancellor, Liberal, Mo.— Our substation was in operation about three
months, and in that time perhaps 100 received the infection directly and that many
more indirectly from this station. Reports came in very slowly, but, so far as re-
ported, 70 per cent. were successful. I experienced no trouble in infecting bugs,
and the state of the weather made no perceptible change in the working of the in-
fection. I noticed a remarkable thing in the field of C. M. York, who resides near
this place. Mr. York put out fungus about the time the young bugs began hatch-
ing in his wheat, and shortly the old bugs began dying in great numbers. I visited
the field about the 10th of June, and found fungus all over the ground, but could find
no young bugs dead, nor was I ever able to find any young bugs dead in the field.
Mr. York had another field in which he put no infection, and there the old bugs, as
well as the young, remained alive until by nature they expired. Take it all in all, I
believe the thing is an established success, and we shall give it another trial, if nec-
essary. Ina great many of the above reports, I know the parties expected to lose
their entire crop, but lost very little. For example: Chas. Boyd came to me and
informed me that he expected to lose most of his crop. After putting out infection,
he found the bugs still alive, and, as he put it when talking to me, “they were
crawling around and acted crazy.” They did not seem to be eating corn at all.
This was in the early part of July. Mr. Boyd put out no more infection, and paid
no attention to his field until in August, when he noticed that the field was still full
of bugs, and they were eating corn, but slowly. In conclusion, I desire to say that
never before in this country did so many bugs do so little damage. Our crops were
comparatively uninjured, and our leading farmers attribute it solely to the use of
the infection.

EL. E. Cowman, Osborne.— Station was in operation about two months—July and
August; number of persons supplied with infection, about 310. Of these, I send
you the names of 220 and their reports, if reported, whether successful or unsuc-
cessful. Most of the remaining 90 names were persons I gave the infection to dur-
ing the latter part of August, for use later in the season if weather became more
favorable. Besides these, a number were given infection while I was visiting boxes
in the country, and thus did not secure their names. Reports received, 49; success-
ful, 32; unsuccessful, 8; doubtful, 9. Per cent. successful, 65; unsuccessful, 17;
doubtful, 18. From the number that sent me their report on the work, I can hardly
say that 65 per cent. of all that tried the infection were successful, as I heard of

‘a good many, indirectly, who were not successful, but thought it due to the dry

weather, and would not report. From what I could learn from inquiry, etce., I esti-
mated that about 40 per cent. were successful, and most of these took out the infec-
tion before the hot winds, July 25 to 29. The weather was extremely backward for

the propagation of the disease. We had but one rain, about one-half inch, during

the entire time, and with but little dew. In the latter part of July, hot winds struck
this part of the country, destroying the crops. This greatly reduced the demand
for the infection, and a good many who had taken out the infection neglected to
take care of it. My boxes worked well all the time the station was in operation,
and, after the first few days, had no trouble in keeping plenty of infection ahead.
Very few farmers had trouble with their boxes. I visited 16, and of this number
three were not working, being entirely too small, and not kept sufficiently damp-

—2

SN 7 t athe MANE AMD CTY tin ss NOT ct

18 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

.

ened. Very few, if any, who failed with the infection condemn it, but are willing
and wish to try it again a more seasonable year. What infection I had left (975

boxes), I left with the commissioners and real-estate men, to be distributed to those

who wished to try again in the fall.

O. P. Davis, Warrensburg, Mo.—I assumed charge of a substation June 4, 1894,
at Warrensburg, Johnson county, Mo., in response to a call received by myself while
at Lawrence. This substation was to be supported by the subscriptions of private —

individuals. Three or four large infection boxes, similar in every respect to those
maintained at the central station, were procured. Two of these, and, during part
of the time, a third, were kept running during my administration of affairs. Full
and explicit directions were printed, and the distribution of information and infec-
tion was begun in three or four days after my arrival. The newspapers kindly
published several letters of information which I furnished them. The infection
flourished continuously in the boxes during my stay. A liberal supply of dead
bugs (from 10 to 20 white-fungus-covered ones) were furnished to each applicant,
together with printed and verbal information. I started individual boxes for many.
The weather was very dry throughout June, with only an occasional shower. This

delayed the successful working in the fields and caused discouragement among the.

farmers, most of whom professed no faith in the remedy at the outset. This, to-
gether with an active hostility on the part of a certain faction, rendered our crusade
against the pest very difficult. At the end of my first month, my engagement ter-
minated. I left on hand a quantity of infected bugs, however, ready for subsequent
distribution. Comparatively few of those who received the infection gave the mat-
ter a fair trial, on account of their skepticism. About 450 farmers were supplied.
There were quite a number of successful reports. I, myself, visited fields where the
infection was working nicely, and, at the time of my departure, the number of suc-
cessful reports was increasing. I have not been informed of the subsequent re-
sults.

J. M. Evans, Burlington. As to my report on the chinch-bug business, I will say
that I had three boxes made the size and manner you directed, and put the bugs in
just as you directed. Fed them on green corn and wheat, and used a sprinkler to
keep them damp. Kept the boxes in the basement of the house. Will say that
every box put up with infection worked like a charm. I put up and distributed in
the county over 700 of the small boxes. Had different reports, but the general re-
port was very successful. I had very good success on the farm where I put the in-
fection out. I think the infection works better with warm, damp weather.

John Hall, Fulton.—Arrived at Fulton on May 7, 1894, and had boxes made and
went to field to collect live bugs. Distributed infected bugs in field at time of gath-
ering live, healthy bugs. From this time infected bugs were distributed in the two
wheat fields, of which I had the overseeing, but no visible signs of the disease tak-
ing effect, could be found up to the 7th day of June. As soon as the station was in
working order, the local paper made a statement that the diseased bugs would be
given to anyone who wished, provided they would bring live bugs to exchange for
them. This brought a few farmers to town with live bugs, and they received dis-
eased bugs in return and went home, told their neighbors of the station’s establish-
ment, and during the second week quite a number of men came for bugs. After
this, they came in very slowly, and no reports were made at all until the day before
leaving Fulton, when it was reported indirectly that there were two farmers north
of town who had been successful in their experiments. Bugs were distributed to
something over 100 persons, and these were the only reports that were brought in.

'

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 19

Along the latter part of June of the same year I was again in that part of the state,
and made some inquiries, and found that there had been a number of successful
trials made in the vicinity, one man having saved his oats, another his corn, and
soon. In cornfields and adjacent to wheat fields where the infection had been used,
after the wheat had been harvested, the bugs began to migrate to the cornfields and
did not get further than two or three rows in when they began to collect in balls and
die on the ground. Many were covered with the white fungus. So that unsuccess-
ful personally in the fields I was watching and experimenting, the majority seem
to have been successful in their experiments.

N. 8. Hayse, Great Bend.—I have been trying as hard as I could since I closed
the bug station, in August, to get a full statement of what was done from my sta-
tion. I let 158 applicants have the infection, and I have only about 41 reports to
send to you, such as they are. I will send you what I have, and perhaps I can do
better another time. So far as the farmers followed the instructions, they were suc-
cessful; those that thought they knew best of course failed. The weather was so
dry and hot that we closed the business the 15th of August.

E. C. Hickey, Abilene.— The work was begun on the afternoon of May 23d, at
which time the preparation and satisfactory arrangements of the principal county
station, that at Abilene, were made. The spacious basement of the courthouse was
at once converted into a genuine chinch-bug station. Here the conditions neces-
sary to the successful and special propagation of the white fungus, Sporotrichum
globuliferum, were extremely favorable, the only apparent disadvantage being a
liability of several kinds of mold spores to alight in the wooden boxes, and there
profusely propagate. The boxes used were the same as those made use of by the
University Station. Frequent visits of the Abilene agent to the state station were
productive in keeping the substation in strictest harmony with the working of the
principal one. In Abilene, I found the diseased bugs to have been as efficient in
destructive effects as those sent out from Lawrence into the same territory were re-
ported to have been. White fungus was very prolific in the wooden cases, but much
more so on the hard-beaten and moistened earthen floor of the basement rooms,
where numerous stalks of corn were thrown to afford harboring places for the bugs
which had escaped from the infection boxes. These spots especially attracted the
attention of the numerous visitors to the station, and also were of considerable
advantage, in that by means of them the actual field experimenters could be easily
shown what to expect or look for in their work. Many, indeed, insisted upon re-
ceiving these bugs which had died in great numbers beneath the masses of green
material, there invariably seeking the cool and darkened protection from the sun-
light which but slightly streamed in through the basement windows. In a north

toom I found hundreds of dead, white-mold-enshrouded bugs clinging to the stone
walls.

By means of having a station in easy access of the farmer experimenters, I have
found that a much greater intelligence in regard to the work is not only possible
but also very apparent, much to the gratification of both farmer and station man.
Xntelligence and care in the use of these parasitic diseases are the preéminent requi-
sites. They induce better results, inspire confidence upon the part of the user, and
by all means are a source of pleasure to him who assumes the responsibility con-
nected with the control of a county station. Not only did they who were in actuaj
need come to see and have their wants supplied, but also many who were actuated
by mere curiosity came. And of the latter class, not a few received supplies to be
used in case of an invasion of bugs upon their crops, or to send to friends whose fields
might be invaded. In no case were any refused. Of the incredulous, a goodly num-

aah

20 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

ber had their incredulity shaken to the extent that such expressions as “Now, there

may be something in it, after all,” were of such frequent repetition that they ceased

to be unfamiliar.

Very fortunately indeed, had the boxes in the station begun nicely to work when

a wheat field adjoining town, and up on the east and but a short distance from the
station, afforded an excellent opportunity to see something of the practical outdoor
results. In this field, owned by Messrs. Cooper & White, of Abilene, chinch bugs

young and old were thriving by the millions. Along the south end is a dense hedge-

row, in and about which had collected a great amount of rubbish, and here the bugs
were observed to die and turn white in exactly the same manner as those in the sta-
tion boxes. To the surprise of all interested, the bugs which had so numerously ap-
peared very suddenly began to disappear. From one end of the field to the other
occasional dead, mold-covered bugs were found beneath clods and in places of hid-
ing. ‘The one question always asked by those who had seen the field before and

after the disappearance of the dead bugs was, ‘‘ What has become of them?” Tobe ©

sure, the dead ones seen were only a very small per cent. of those which had been
seen alive, but it must be remembered the sick and dying burrow themselves out of
sight, while the live bugs are in plain view upon the ground about the wheat stools
or upon the corn hills. The presence of the disease in this field was not due to the
introduction of any dead bugs by any known party. I can only account for it with
the supposition that the spores of the Sporotrichum had existed over the previous
winter in the rubbish of the hedgerow previously mentioned. Several such cases
have come to my notice in the last sammer’s work. It is to be much hoped that my
hypothesis is not a false one, inasmuch as the “seed” once sown may live on from
season to season, beginning its destructive operations in the early springtime,
which former experience has taught is a favorable time for the procuring of favor-
able results. I am strengthened in my belief by the fact that the first appearance
of dead bugs has invariably been in and near these hedgerows, and also by the fact
that the bugs farthest from these places are the last to disappear.

The work was still further carried on by me in pereon into a cornfield to the east
of this wheat field. Here many visitors found their way, and many gathered their
Own supplies from the dead bugs which were to be found by the hundreds in the old,
dead, half-decaying, half-buried stubs of cornstalks from the crop of the previous
year. This was a comparatively easy task, since we had simply to pull one of
these stalks from the ground from which one end protruded, having not been en-
tirely covered by the plow, and then break the stalk apart. I have found as many
as 500 white, mold-enshrouded bugs secreted within one of these hiding places.
Also, along an east and west hedge, upon the north side of the field, the ground in
spots among bunches of fox-tail grass was as white as though partially covered
with snow, from the presence of the dead bugs. From this time, as far as the sea-,
son would permit, three men were kept busy at times in keeping up the stock of
supplies. At this stage of the work the boxes for a time seemed to rest. However,
the growth of mold revived again in about a week’s time, although during this
period the bugs in the cases seemed unusually sluggish but not dying. From time
to time new boxes were put into use, while old ones were cleaned beneath the hy-
drant and then sunned. From the central station boxes of supplies, accompanied
by the station instructions, were sent to the county substations located at Hering-
ton, Enterprise, Solomen, Chapman, Banner, Dillon, Carleton, Manchester, Hope,
Talmage, and Sutphen’s Mills. Each box thus sent out received the personal care
of the director, and all the bugs given out were diseased and killed in the central
station. Everywhere the director received the most hearty codperation of those in
position to assist, and for the good of the cause such assistance was gratuitously

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 21

given. The county papers also gave most valuable assistance by getting the mat-
ter fully before the people, and by occasionally publishing results. It is very ap-
parent that the people of Dickinson county, regardless of occupation, are ready
and eager for anything of a beneficial nature, or to try any test which points.
toward bettering the condition of the farmer. It was the business of the director
of the county station to direct all work, meet with and talk to the farmers, visit their
fields where personal supervision was necessary, keep an effective supply of infec-
tion on hand to distribute to individual callers, send out to the substation men, and
to put up a supply to be retained over winter for early spring use. Of course all
reports and observations fall naturally to his care. For five days the number of
callers who either wished dead bugs or information reached the average of 75 per-
sons aday. These were, as patiently as time and human nature would permit, shown
through the station. For the season, 493 individuals were supplied from Abilene
alone, and no name was counted twice. All together, a few more than 2,000 farmers
received supplies from either the central station or one of the substations. The
bulk of the supplies were given out from June 10 to July 18; however, after the
18th of July the number of calls was perceptibly lessened.

Concerning results, the agent can say that, everything considered, he is of the
firm opinion that his summer’s work was a success — not entirely so, to be sure, but
to alarge and profitable extent. The real per cent. of favorable and what would
haye been favorable results was cut short by the extreme unfavorable conditions of
the season, which conditions also caused an almost entire failure of the corn and
oat crops. Hundreds of fields of Indian corn yielded on this account no return to
their tillers, while even the fodder was so injured before cutting that little nourish-
ment is to be obtained from this source of getting stock feed. During the reign of
these unfavorable conditions, beginning early in July and existing until late fall,
the ground became so hot and parched that no fungus whatever showed itself, while
the bugs sought shelter, disappearing at the same time in all fields, whether infected
or uninfected. The effect of the hot winds and extreme drought was to kill myriad
thousands of the pests. This is not given wholly upon my own observation, but
from the reports of many trustworthy and careful men who are interested in the
work. Up to the 10th of July, as far as reports could be gotten, very nearly 80 per
cent. of the number reporting pronounced the results favorable. I say very nearly
80 per cent., from the fact that some few were in doubt. As far as I have been able
to learn, the majority of those making the test were pleased with their pains and
effort expended. Yet the one thing which a county agent must expect, and be pre-
pared for abow all things, is the anxiety of the experimenters whose crops are in
imminent danger, at which time the disease may not act with the rapidity and de-
structiveness he may hope for. Such individuals will, to a certainty, implore his
assistance, commendably urging him to do what he can for the farmer. Patience,
perseverance and assurance are the things in such instances to be summoned and
relied upon. Confidence must be inspired, and especially at this critical stage must
the station man be strong in his faith of the efficiency of the remedy he advocates»
all the while relying upon the more tardy reports for his season of gratification’
Beyond a question of a doubt, much of the results of a county station is dependent
upon the conduct and ability of him in charge. None but a competent and patient
person, and one who has the confidence of the farmers, should be employed in such
a capacity; preferably one who has an actual experience in tilling the soil and gath-
ering the crops, who is or has been one among the farmers, practical and observant,
of good judgment and patient disposition, should be placed in such positions.

Another work taken up and carried on in connection with the attempted exter-
mination of the chinch bug was that of ‘giving directions for the destruction of

oe TOCA

22 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STA TION.

garden and orchard pests. Frequent use was made of Vernon L. Kellogg’s “Injuri-

ous Insects of Kansas.” The potato beetle, an enemy much dreaded during the
past season by the farmer — dreaded both because of the injury it does and of the
very tedious method of gathering by hand, by no means an easy or effectual means

of riddance — received attention. Pyrethrum generously sprinkled in early morn or

late at night upon the dew-dampened vines, or dissolved in water and sprayed upon —

the green foliage and stems, was rapidly effective. The solution used was two
ounces of the fresh powder to an ordinary wooden pail full of water.

In concluding, I have this to say: In organizing county stations, all infection
should be propagated, inspected and sent out by the director for said station. The
people are ready in the time of need for vigorous work, but they want good infec-
tion (in generous quantities, to give them confidence), they want careful supervision
and clear instructions. The farming communities of Kansas are ready in the realm
of scientific education for anything that touches upon the practical side of farm-
ing. Many practical farmers have, at various times, expressed to me the opinion
that, should every box of infection sent out from the Dickinson county station
have failed in the results hoped for, the station could not be considered a dead
expense, inasmuch as the people have been thus aroused to what may be done in
other lines, and to what they should awaken in the progress of farming. The hon-
orable board of commissioners have also expressed themselves as well pleased.
Good supplies have been, with their approval, carefully boxed and stored away for fu-
ture use, should time and occasion demand another “chinch-bug war” in Dickinson
county. The expense of running the station, while I cannot give the exact figures,
was about $400 for a period of three months.

Kate Hutchinson, Onaga.—In answer to yours of the 20th, I would say that I did
not succeed very well, because I had not the conveniences to work with and no suit-
able place to keep the bugs. I gave bugs to several parties, and to make sure that
they had infected bugs afterwards gave the same parties bugs supplied by you.

Some of them were successful, and some were not; about 75 per cent. successful. }

My box worked all right, but required constant watching to keep moist enough.
I supplied 15 persons, but can only remember two names, and have lost my list.
Something over four weeks was the time devoted to it. Mine could hardly be called
a substation, because I didn’t really have time to devote to it, being much busier
than I anticipated when I requested the bugs of you. Mr. C. O. Benton made a
thorough success of the bugs, and distributed many among his neighbors. I have
saved some bugs, and will experiment next year on my own account. I have been
successful two years, and saved a corn crop each time.

W. Knaus, McPherson.—I1 beg leave to inclose duplicate reports of some 20
farmers who used infected bugs supplied from the laboratory stations at this place.
The reports are almost uniformly unsatisfactory, owing to the intense hot and dry
weather of July and August.

I. B. Lawyer, Iola.—According to your request, I will try and report some of
the chinch-bug expriments. Farmers are so much engaged in their work that it is
a hard matter to get them to take time enough to write out a report of their suc-
cess or failure, as the case may be, and, in fact, so few of them carry out the direc-
tions given them, that success can hardly be expected. One man will come in with
an old paint bucket that has never been cleaned, and say he is going to infect his
bugs in it; another has a glass fruit can; another a cigar box; and soon; and I
might mention many other contrivances they have; whilst some follow directions,
and most invariably succeed.

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 23

D. E. Lamb, Peabody.—In reply to your favor of the 20th, would say that my in-
fection box worked successfully. I followed your directions to the letter, and in 48
hours the box was covered with white-fungus bugs, but it required about 10 days
before all the bugs in the box were dead. I had no opportunity to judge of the
effects of the weather or the working of the infection, as we had but one kind of
weather during the experimental period, viz., extremely hot and dry. At first quite
a number thought the infection was working successfully, but finally not over 10
per cent. report favorably. I supplied 51 farmers with the infection, and took
special pains to explain how to work their infection boxes and apply to the fields.
The station was in operation about eight weeks.

Robert Findley, Sterling.—We spent much time and work experimenting and
getting the farmers to take hold of the chinch-bug infection, this last summer. I
did not keep the names of all parties to whom I gave the bugs, and I did not get a
report from them all, but Iam convinced that those who gave it a thorough test were
benefited by it. Some seasons the bugs do much damage to our broom-corn crop,
and we would like very much to have all the farmers take hold of it. This is the
largest market for dwarf broom corn in the United States, and we are very anxious
to sustain our reputation for furnishing the best qualities of brush. We had much
very dry weather, which discouraged some with the bugs; but we want to take up
the work earlier next year, and hope to do more good with it.

W. N. Logan, Beloit.—I hereby present my report of the work of the Mitchell
county distributing station, for the three months commencing June 1 and ending
September 1, 1894. During the three months, about 500 boxes of diseased bugs
were distributed, six talks on chinch-bug diseases were given in different parts of
the county, and about 20 field tests were made. During the month of June, when
the weather was most favorable, nearly 90 per cent. of the results reported were fa-
vorable. Commencing with the 3d of July, no rain fell for more than 60 days, and
by the 20th of July almost all field work had ceased. Our experiments would seem
to confirm the belief that the infection will not do the work during the dry, hot
weather. We also had very little success with the small red bugs, even in favorable
weather, because they would not leave the stalk upon which they were and so dis-
tribute the disease.

Frank A. Lutz, Yorktown.—The district through which I distributed infection
included principally the northwest and southeast parts of Lincoln and Mitchell
counties. The fore part of the season was damp, very favorable to the spreading
of the disease, and, as my report shows, the disease spread effectually. July 3 was
the last rainy day of the summer, in fact no rain fell after this date, and in con-
sequence the farther we proceed from this date the greater are the number of fail-
ures reported. Mr. Geo. W. Metzger, of this place, who has for three seasons been
successful in spreading the disease in his fields, reports that, in an isolated field in
which during the year 1893 the infection was planted and Spread, the same lived
there during the winter; and early in June, 1894, the bugs were noticed to sicken
and die. In the year 1893, Mr. Metzger had his field planted in corn, and in the fall
listed the same in wheat. Mr. A. A. Songer, Victor, Kas. ( Mitchell county), reports
likewise a phenomenon of this kind.

Iowa Agricultural College, Ames, Iowa.—Infected bugs were sent to 164 different
persons, and reports have been received from 58. Of the58 reporting, 32 consid-
ered that the infection was a success, and 24a failure, while 1 was too doubtful to
report either way, and 1 reported no use made of the material. Of the 32 report-
ing success, however, only 5 reported observation of a fungus growth on the bugs,

es war (1 NATO TU EY REA eB

x

24 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

or gave proof that the bugs actually died as the result of their infection, while a
number reported bugs dying in other fields where infection was not used; a number
more simply based the report on the fact that bugs were less numerous or had dis-
appeared, and several who sent in what they supposed to be bugs that had died of
the disease sent for the most part only the molted skins of bugs which had been

mistaken for dead bugs. With these facts in view, it would be unsafe to claim that

more than 10 per cent. of the attempts were really successful. Considering the ex-
treme dry weather that prevailed for the period of trial, great success could not be
expected. If all would report results, the conclusions would be of greater value.

J. H. Sawtell, Salina.—I shall say for those who secured bugs from me, that but
very few will have any report to make at all, for many, after getting them, were so
discouraged by the excessively dry and hot weather that they neglected doing any-
thing at all with them. However, there are a few who will have a favorable report
to make. 7

T. H. Scheffer, Minneapolis.— The destruction of chinch bugs in Ottawa county
the past season by the artificial dissemination of the white muscardine disease was
attended with one great difficulty — the total lack of anything like recognized favor-
able meteorological conditions after the first three weeks after the station was
started. After July 10, the condition of the weather was dead against the devel-
opment of the disease, as well as against the growing of crops, while the same con-
dition was extremely favorable to the rapid multiplication of the bugs. Excessive
heat and a prolonged drought in the months of July and August killed the corn and
forage crops, so that one cannot safely say what the final results would have been
in cases where the earlier experiments had promised success. The station was es-
tablished on June 11, and the first diseased bugs were given out about a week later.
By this time all the wheat had ripened, so that only one experiment (detailed
below) was made in this crop. At the time the station was established, the bugs
had not appeared in numbers sufficient to attract attention of farmers, many claim-
ing to have seen none at all, and predicting comparative immunity for the season.
It was with difficulty that bugs enough to start the infecting cases could be found,
the first lot, in fact, being obtained from Dickinson county. A little later, the
hordes of young bugs marching from the fields of ripened wheat evidenced the
presence of the enemy in full force, and caused a run on the station for infection.
A little over 500 packages were given out during the season, 352 farmers being sup-
plied. Distributing points were established at nine of the smaller towns in the
county, each of which was visited by myself, and arrangements were made with
some local merchant to receive and distribute the packages of diseased bugs, and
make reports at intervals.

After two months the station was closed, the drought having left no green crops
in which to experiment. A little later, printed blanks for reports were sent out to
all who had received infection. Only 40 of these were returned, the other farmers
being either too careless or too despondent to attend to the matter. In fact, it is
not likely that many of them would have had anything worth reporting, for those
reports received covered the earlier part of the season.

The following is a summary of these reports: Crop in which experiment was
made was, in every case, corn or forage; weather, as reported by experimenter, was»
in every case, dry and hot; number of cases in which experiment was attended with
greater or less success, 19; number of cases in which experiment was a failure, 16;
number of cases in which result was doubtful, 3; no trial, 2. Total, 40. With two
exceptions, the infection had, in every case, been procured at the station between
June 20 and July 10. The conditions of the weather were very favorable for the

*

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. —O5

growing crops up to July 4, when the last rain of any consequence fell. The period
from June 20 to June 26 was comparatively wet, this county being visited with good
showers on the 20th, 21st, 23d, 24th, 25th, and 26th.

The results of my own experiments, of which I undertook three, were in two
cases highly satisfactory; in the other case doubtful. The first experiment was
made in a field of ripening wheat located in a creek bend, and of about eight acres
in extent. The following notes from my field book are pertinent:

June 12.—Visited the wheat field ; greener patches of wheat black with young
bugs up as far as the heads of the stalks ; few old bugs to be seen.

June 16.—Put infection in wheat field along north side, where harvesters had
left strip standing ; rest of grain in shock; morning damp, a sprinkle of rain dur-
ing the night having thoroughly laid the dust; field wet down by heavy shower later
in the day.

June 18.— Most of the bugs had ceased feeding; running about aimlessly and
bunching under clods in handfuls; bunches observed at least 15 rods from in-
fection.

June 20.— Light shower in the afternoon ; put out more infection in other parts
of the wheat field ; some bugs still feeding on green patches of stubble and grass ;
none observed to feed on north side of field. They could be found massed together
among the decaying leaves in the buffalo grass, which formed a mat on the slope
at the edge next to the creek ; plenty of cast-off skins among them. Placed more
infection along the slope, which ran around all sides of the field except the west.

June 21.— Light shower ; cool all day.

June 22. Examined the wheat shocks, which were damp at base, and found
fungus-covered bugs plentifully sprinkled about under some of them; also found a
few at roots of stubble. Number of live bugs throughout the field apparently un-
diminished; stubble, grass along edges and shocks full of them—gathered a clean
quart of them from the sheaves in five minutes. All bugs freshly molted or en-
gaged in molting,

June 23.— Good shower of rain. Found white bugs in grass and under shocks
and clods in all parts of the field. Live bugs moving about in great numbers.

June 25,—Violent rain storm during the night.

June 27.—Visited wheat field. Scarcely a living bug to be seen in or about the
field. Matted grass full of fungus bugs; ground under shocks white with them.
Went all over field, and found white bugs everywhere. No live bugs were seen in
the field on subsequent visits, so I am disposed to regard the destruction in this
case as amounting to practical extermination.

The other two experiments were conducted in fields of corn. Space will not per-
mit me to give full details. In the one case, the field in question had been in wheat,
which had partially winterkilled. It was listed to corn late in the season, and long
after the spring flight of hibernating bugs usually takes place, so that the young
corn was attacked all over the field as it came up by the newly hatched brood.
Scarcely a stalk ever reached the top of the furrow. Although the field was several
times infected, I never succeeded in finding any fungus-covered bugs, the presence
of which is the only positive proof that the disease is in operation.

The third experiment was made in a field of corn almost high enough to tassel.
The bugs were coming in on one side from a field of wheat that had just been cut.
The first diseased bugs were distributed June 30, on the hills of the fourth row from
the wheat. On July 3, as the bugs were still advancing, the tenth row was also sup-
plied with infection. On visiting the field again, July 7, I found that the disease
was spreading, as evidenced by the presence of bugs, covered with the characteristic
external growth of Sporotrichum, in sheaths of lower leaves and pits of stalks. Bugs

26 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

were molting in rolled leaves, under broken-down stalks, and between stalk and
blades. On July 9, I estimated that the bugs were reduced to about one-fourth their

former number. Many of the pits of the stalks and the cracks radiating from them

(the ground had now become hard and baked) were lined with fungus bugs. With

the help of two boys, three small baking-powder cans full of them were collected:

Sporotrichum could be found as far in from the edge of the field as any bugs had

straggled. Bugs in an adjoining field on the north were plentiful and healthy. The
weather had now become so dry that the disease apparently spread no further. Only

one very light shower had fallen during the whole progress of the experiment. It

was essentially a dry-weather experiment. It may be worth while to mention that

the heaviest midsummer flight of the first matured brood of bugs was observed on

July 21. Some bugs were seen on the wing, however, as early as July 8.

J. A. Simpson, Mankato.— The county commissioners of Jewell county established
a station at Mankato the second week in June, and employed the undersigned as
director. Weestarted our boxes immediately, and also commenced a thorough sys-
tem of advertising. Within two days the infection boxes were quite liberally
sprinkled with the white-fungus-covered bugs. Some of these bugs were given out
on the second day after starting the boxes. In running the station, we adhered
closely to the rules, and tried to impress the importance of so doing on all those
who took bugs from the station. During the two months that we had charge of the
station, 520 applications for infected bugs were filled. Although many of these
were never heard from in a direct report, yet we have reason to believe that a very
satisfactory per cent. were entirely successful. Out of the first 50 direct reports,
only two were adverse ones, and the failure in each of these was due to negligence
in following out instructions. Later in the season, the dry weather seriously hin-
dered the progress of the work. One applicant, of an investigating nature, brought
in a dozen or more ladybugs to be experimented with, and, to our surprise, every
bug died within three days, completely covered with the white fungus. This experi-
ment was tried several times after this, and always proved successful. One of the
most gratifying things in running a station is making friends for the white fungus,
It was our pleasure to see many incredulous ones become firm believers. Among
those whom we met who had no faith whatever in the disease was Capt. Ed. Kearn,
of the southwestern part of the county. Mr. Kearn is a graduate of the state agri-
cultural college, and is still a student. He is one of the most practical farmers in
Jewell county, and is a progressive man in every way; but, strange to say, he had
never taken any interest in the chinch-bug disease. We met him at the hotel one
day and, after talking awhile, he went with us to the station. Weshowed him our
boxes, made some explanations, and gave him some literature on the subject. The
next time he was in town he called and took out some infected bugs. His boxes
were soon working, and he became a firm believer in the efficiency of Sporotrichum
globuliferum. It is safe to say that, as a result of the establishment of the station

at Mankato, the farmers of Jewell county are much better acquainted with the man- ~

ner of running the boxes and doing field work, and that the general interest has
been greatly increased.

Charles Smith, Russell The weather has been very dry and hot since June 20, at
which time I got the first infected bugs. I have no trouble to get the infection to
work in the infection boxes, but it has not worked satisfactorily in the field since
the middle of July. I have been unable to get written reports from all but Mr.
Robbins.

Ed. Willoughby, Windsor, Mo.—We started about 20 boxes, and were successful
in all of them but the first. We furnished about 200 farmers with the infection, buf

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 27

only met with success in a few cases in the field. We attribute the failure in the
fields to the very dry weather we had at the time we were sending out the bugs.
Should bugs be thick here next year, we will try it again, as we do not see why the
infection will not work as well in the field as in the boxes, should the weather be fa-
vorable.

P. C. Young, Fredonia.—My patrons in the bug line did not report to me, thereby
making it very difficult to comply with your very reasonable request. My boxes
were in use for about two months, and, as far as my inexperienced observation
went, were doing quite well; however, on sending some of my infection to Lawrence
for your inspection, it was pronounced bad, and some 100 boxes of your infection

“were sent me with the advice to use those instead of those produced in my boxes.

i This was complied with from that on.

. III. REPORTS FROM INDIVIDUAL EXPERIMENTERS.

4 Reports have been received from over 3,000 farmers who made use of

HS the infection during the past season. The following are a few reports, taken

4 at random, which show the general opinion regarding the success of the in-

i. fection in 1894:

y ‘ 2

a F. M. Akridge, Vandalia, Mo.—Unsuccessful. In regard to the bugs, I tried them

ne according to directions, but never saw any difference only that they increased faster.
: I got a neighbor or two to send and tell you the result, and sent the bugs with them

ar

0

y

} ‘

that you required, and they got bugs, or dust, and we put them in a tight can, then
turned them loose, and kept catching and putting bugs in for a week or so and
turning them loose, but they still increased all the time till frost. Now the grapes,
corn shocks and the roots of the stalks are full of them. If there is anything in
e your remedy we failed to see it, although we were hopeful, yet maybe we failed to
: give the proper care or the medicine lost its strength before we got it. So I have n’t
4 . lost confidence in the diseased bugs, if it is strong enough after it gets here; so you
by can send me some more in the spring, so I can put it in the field early, before the
eggs hatch.

re

+ A. G. Anderson, Nilwood, Macoupin county, Illinois.—Successful. It was getting
v ' late when I received the bugs, on Tuesday of the week, and placed them in a box ac-
7 cording to directions; kept them well moistened, and left them until Saturday morn-
ing, when the one-half pint of bugs were mostly dead. I had five acres of late corn
a with wheat on both sides; the bugs had eaten it clean about 20 rows on the west
and north, adjoining the wheat. I placed the infected bugs in several places where
the hills were thick with live bugs; in a few days there were very few live bugs, and
the balance of the corn was injured but little. We cut and fed out the two sides
most injured, and cut and shocked the balance, and sowed the field in wheat. Have
not moved any of the shocks yet, but know the fodder is all right. On another field,
where I did not put any of the infected bugs, they went all over seven acres of early
corn and nearly ruined it. At least half of it fell down before we cut it, and the
fodder is very poor feed. I am satisfied, with two years’ experience, that the infec-
fection can be made a success, if given proper attention.

J. E. Bales, Braymer, Mo.—According to promise, I will try to tell you how the
infected bugs worked for me. I think they saved my crop. One of our neighbors
got bugs from me, and had good success. The weather was very dry and hot. We

28 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

did not find any fungus bugs, but we found dead bugs by the millions, in piles. I
would say for everybody to try the infection next summer, if they have bugs, for
they will do the work if faithfully attended to, but it takes work. I know I had
more bugs in the start than any of my neighbors, and less in the end, and less dam-
age done.

L. M. Ballard, Wichita, Kas.—Successful. I followed your directions. I got
about one quart of bugs and put them with the ones you sent me. I let them re-
main 48 hours, then distributed them all around my field on three sides. The bugs
were simply awful on my corn; it looked as though it could not stand four days. I
could not see any dead bugs when I distributed my bunch of infected bugs, and I
was out of heart and thought they were no good, as I could see no dead bugs. The
ground was dry and cracked open. I got to looking into the cracks and found
some dead bugs. It rained that night and the next day I found lots of dead bugs.
From that time on they died by the millions. I got rid of them and only lost about
three acres of corn. They seemed to die the most in the sandy ground, but there
were very few on the top of the ground; they burrowed into the ground.

G. Burton, Yates, Randolph county, Missouri.—The bugs proved. to be successful
in their work. There were some white-fungus-covered bugs found in the infection
box, also some dead ones, too. Some white-fungus-covered bugs were also found in
the field. The weather was warm and dry when I used the bugs, but the infection
took effect and completed the work of destruction on the bugs. In four days after
I placed the bugs in the field, the dead bugs could be gathered ie by the handful
around the hills of corn.

Geo. Ooltharp, Leonardville, Kas.—Must say that I was unsuccessful. Followed
directions closely. The weather was hot and dry; had no trouble in getting bugs
infected. It worked splendidly in the infection box, but after I had distributed
them in my cornfield I could find no dead bugs tospeak of. I distributed dead and
infected bugs for several days and could see no results. The bugs took my corn
clean as they went. They ate up eight acres of corn for me after all my trouble.
I therefore concluded the infection will not work in dry weather.

James Cross, McLouth, Kas.— Unsuccessful. I am very sorry to say your infec-
tion proved to be a failure with me. Iwas at your experimental station myself and
received full instructions; I came right home and had the carpenter make me a box
for the purpose, and went right to work and gathered the bugs as instructed, and
the most of them would die in two or three days, and I kept plenty of dead bugs
on hand all the time, and for as much as three or four weeks before the bugs be- ;
gan to come out of the wheat, I scattered the infection all around over the field of
wheat, and then when the wheat was cut they struck the corn adjoining it on two
sides, and I was right there to meet them with the infection, and plenty of it, too,
and put a teaspoonful of the infected bugs in every hill in one row clear across the
field, and repeated this as long as the bugs remained in the corn. The weather was
moderately damp, and the bugs were thick. I could catch a quart off of one hill of
corn, and I gave Carl Miller the infection you sent him by me. You have his name
there, and he worked very faithfully with it too and received no benefit. I received ;
about $400 damages by them and my time lost fooling with it, and never killed a a
bug only what I killed in the box, so far as I could see.

A. J. Field, Austin, Mo.—Successful. After receiving the bugs you sent me, I
caught I suppose about two tablespoonfuls, and put with them. AsIhad to pick
them up off the ground one at a time from about the roots of the wheat, it was a
very tedious undertaking. I put them in a box with the diseased bugs; kept them

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. ; 29

in box about five days, and scattered them out through the wheat. Weather was
very warm and dry. In about four or five days put out another lot, and kept it up
until the wheat was cut. Could not see that I had killed any, though; thought at
the time that it was a failure. After cutting the wheat, the bugs went into the corn
in great numbers. AsI could then catch them easier, I tried it again, with com-
plete success, as I could find them piled up most every place. In the meantime we
had two or three rains. I find that the disease spreads much more rapidly when the
earth is damp and moist. I am satistied they saved me from $200 to $300 worth of
corn. I think it one of the greatest discoveries of the age. Some of my neighbors
that used diseased bugs were also successful in saving their crops, while others that
did not use them lost a great deal of corn. I am satisfied that if all the farmers
would take hold of it and scatter infected bugs through their fields, they could ex-
terminate them.

W.A. Gallaher, Baden Baden, Bond county, Ill.— Successful. I followed your in- ©
structions after receiving the infected bugs. I found that in from two to three
days I could propagate the disease on the healthy bugs, in a box that I provided for
the experiment. I then distributed the dead and diseased bugs in the roots of the
corn. I find that the best time to place the diseased bugs on the corn is just after
ashower. Again, I find that I cannot spread the infection during very dry weather.
We had an unusually dry summer here, and the result of my experiment was not alto-
gether gratifying. I gave infected bugs to my neighbors for experimental pur-
poses, and they secured about the same result that I did. I think the best time to
distribute infected bugs is in the growing wheat just before harvest; in that way we
get at the first crop of bugs. I find that the fungus disease is peculiar to the chinch
bug, and often this disease springs up spontaneously when conditions are favorable
to the development of the disease, as wet weather. I worked under instructions of
our state entomologist, 8. A. Forbes, with good results, notwithstanding the drought
of last summer. I will try again next summer, and will commence my experiments
in the wheat fields, as I have a quantity of dead bugs that I will carry over for that
purpose. I think if all farmers of the infested chinch bug localities would labor to-
gether with the white-fungus disease, with favorable weather, would almost expel
the bugs —the greatest enemy that the farmer has to contend with.

R. L. Gilbert, Sarcoxie, Kas.— Succcessful. On the 27th of June, 1894, I carried

a bottle of healthy chinch bugs to the University, was shown by the attendant the

process of propagating the diseased bugs, and received two boxes to take home. I

made up a box that night, and on the 30th another, and put in the balance of my

infected bugs. I examined the boxes every day, and soon began to find diseased and

dead bugs. On the 2d of July put out my first lot of infected bugs; we had quite
a little rain the night before. On the 5th put out more, and again on the 9th. On

the 12th took out more, and soon found streaks of dead bugs all along the rows

where I had put out the first and second time. On the 14th I took out more, and

found dead bugs all around, That time I could hardly find enough live, healthy

bugs to take home to put in my infected boxes; the whole field seemed to be very

sickly. I am satisfied that if I had not done something I would have had no corn

in that field of any account, as the corn was black with bugs 50 or 60 rows from the

edge of the what field where they first entered. After putting out the infected bugs

they did not seem to go much further, and I had to stop trying to get live ones,
they were so hard to find. The field made very good corn for the season, even where

_ it seemed they had killed it. A neighbor had corn north about 60 rods on the other
side of the wheat field. The diseased bugs must have traveled that way, as there
was any amount of dead bugs in his field, and he had fair corn. I tried some in-

Wane

hea t 1

'

50 S TA TE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

a)
fected bugs in another field of corn, but after the dry weather set in I could see no
material difference. I think it needs some rainy time to work to perfection. I am
satisfied if the directions sent out are properly followed success will follow.

Jonathan Gore, Vinita, I. T.—Successful. Will say that I am fully convinced
that the introduction of the bugs in my cornfield saved 50 acres of corn. The bugs
had made a fearful invasion and had destroyed 15 acres of my corn before the
bugs arrived. I took great pains and scattered the bugs myself. In a few days,
to my utter astonishment, the bugs left the field, and I had plenty of corn and some
to sell to my less fortunate neighbors. I regard the introduction of infected chinch
bugs in our country as a very great blessing to the farmers.

A. Green, La Cygne, Kas.— Successful. My experience with your chinch-bug in-
fection is, that it is the best thing that ever came to Kansas. When I commenced
with your infection, we had millions of healthy, ravenous bugs, on 25 acres of wheat
and 15 acres of oats. We commenced to spread out with the infection; we could
not see that it was doing much, but they did not appear to eat and work like they
did. We saved our wheat and oats in fine shape, and before we cut it we found mil-
lions of dead bugs piled under dead cornstalks, so we quit attending to them till
they got into a piece of corn, which they injured some, but that was our.fault. We
cannot speak of it too highly. We furnished the neighbors for miles around with
dead bugs.

B. R. Henderson, Eskridge, Kas.—Successful. I can truly say again that the ex-
periment was entirely satisfactory; was well pleased with the result. The weather
during the trial was generally favorable, being more or less damp. I experimented
on wheat, oats, and corn, and believe the result was good on each. I found quite a
number of the white-fungus bugs in all of the different crops. I let some of my
neighbors have bugs, and some of them had satisfactory results while others failed;
but I believe the failures were on account of the neglect on the part of the experi-
menter. I firmly believe you are doing good work in this line, and if the farmers
generally would take more interest in this matter it would be of untold benefit to
the farming community.

Isaac V. Holmes, Beloit, Wis.—Doubtful. I would report in regard to the inocu-
lated bugs received, that we infected from them, and they were distributed to sev-
eral of our neighbors who were troubled with the bugs. I also personally tried them
on our field of corn. The trouble here was, first, we did not get the infected bugs
early enough; secondly, when they were tried, it had become very dry and hot, and
there was no rain, there only being three showers in three months. There was no
trouble in infecting the bugs in the boxes, but when distributed in the fields the
effect was very slight. I attribute the failare to not commencing early enough in

the season, when the ground was moist, and to our trying to use them when the

drought had become severe and there was no moisture to develop the fungus in the
field.

Thomas Jamieson, Hoge, Leavenworth, Kas.—Doubtful. The directions were fol-
lowed minutely. Just after putting the bugs in the field a very heavy rain fell;
immediately the bugs nearly all disappeared. There were no dead bugs to be found.
I could not tell whether their disappearance was caused by the infected bugs or by

the rainfall. I have frequently noticed that after a heavy rain the bugs scatter out

through the field, but this time they almost all disappeared, which would lead one

to believe that the infection had some effect on them. AsI cannot satisfactorily

fill out the within card, I must leave you to draw your own conclusions from the
above. ‘

AN GIR a RN OIE Le Ra en: SYS | aes TR OME LAL Eo A IC) OEE. ARNO RAR 1 NSN RE IR
ek nea Se he f de aus 3 5 f ; Pe te r ea of Ostet ey NS

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 51

P. L, Jenson, Denmark, Kas.— Successful. I received a box of chinch bugs from
you about the 4th day of July, 1894, and I did according to directions. I will say
that after about a week the chinch bugs were all dead, and it saved all my corn-
stalks, and I let two of my neighbors have some infected bugs, and they proved
satisfactory also, I also discovered that where I had used infected bugs last year,
in those fields there were no bugs this year. I am sure that if everybody would use
infected bugs, in a few years we would have no chinch bugs.

Edwin Lindstrom, Smolan, Kas.—Unsuccessful. My experiment is a failure. I
got a dose of infected bugs and treated the bugs according to directions for about
two weeks, but without success. I sent for some more and tried again to get the
disease to spread in the boxes, and after one week’s trial I found 8 or 10 of the bugs
I had gathered dead and fungus covered. I thought of giving it up, but thought I
would try another week, and after that week was ended I had a few more dead and
fungug.covered bugs. I tried another week, and then in all I had about 30 or 35
bugs i and fungus covered. My neighbors thought I had starved those to
death until they looked into the boxes and saw that they had increased so that they
were about four times as many as I had gathered. I gathered about 500 or 600. I
thought to let them in the field again, but my neighbors asked me for mercy’s sake
to not do so, but to kill those I had got hold of, and soIdid. I’ll hereby say, that
it is no humbug, but it works too slow.

P. G. Lowe, Leavenworth, Kas.— Successful. My experiments were not so satis-
factory as the year before. The inclosed slips explain two fields. The rye was
completely destroyed, after which the corn was considerably injured. In the rye
I used the infected bugs kept over from the year before. Believing that all the bugs
on my farm were in the rye (where I had them in corn the year before), I exhausted
all of them there, and thought I had them under control until they suddenly became
numerous in the corn. The millet and cornfield is half a mile from the rye and
corn. Without seeming to come from any place, the bugs were found scattered all
through the millet, compelling me to cut it two weeks too soon in order to save it.
I left a strip a rod wide next to the corn, hoping to check them a little and give the
corn a chance, but they soon reached thecorn and did some damage. WhenI found
them in the millet, I sent to you for infected bugs, and I worked faithfully accord-
ing to directions, having a good box. I found great quantities of dead bugs, and
checked the vigor of those not found dead. In my pasture adjoining both corn-—
fields, where there was plenty of foxtail, I soon saw signs of bugs. They are very
fond of foxtail, and I expected to see them emerge from the cornfield and move
into the pasture, but they did not. Where I had millet I sowed wheat, and it did
well, with no signs of chinch bugs in it. I think this indicates that the bugs did not
leave the cornfield, unless they flew out, and that they mostly died. Notwithstand-
ing the unfavorable season (too dry), and notwithstanding I commenced too late
where the millet was, and did not do very good work where the rye was, I had 35
bushels of corn to the acre. So that, you see, my impressions are to the effect that
I was too negligent in one field and too late in the other, but that the destructive
element was in the infected bugs and did a great deal of work, and if applied sooner
and more faithfully, might have saved all my corn.

C. T. Manchester, Bellaire, Kas.—Successful. Before sending to you for infected
bugs I procured some from neighbors’ fields and scattered them in my corn. It
was some time before they took any apparent effect; then they began to die by the
thousands and did no further damage. They first appeared in the center of my 90-
acre field and had taken about one acre before I discovered them. They were very
numerous, and before the infection had time to take effect they had scattered over

ee
AT\ ath

39 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION. =

about 40 acres, but the infection stopped them, and in about a week there was none
left to speak of; and, although it was dry and corn was considered a failure, I raised eh

400 bushels, but without the infection I do not think I would have had even good
fodder. ;

E. A. Markey, Warrensburg, Mo.— My first trial was with some infected bugs sent 2 aise

from the station by you, and was a failure. The second attempt was from infected gan My

bugs received from your assistant. In putting them on the field of corn, I only had
time to scatter on one rowof corn. I went over tke field seven days afterwards, and
found the infection on 15 rows of corn. I then gathered more bugs, in all about

one quart, and infected them, and scattered them on the same piece of ground. —
During this period a shower of rain fell, and the sun came out warm. The results

were very surprising, as the infection had not only spread over that field, but toa
field one-fourth of a mile north; also to the wheat field lying between the two. The
weather then turned hot, and, as the ground got very dry, I could not succeag in in-
fecting bugs any further in the fields. I believe that where one can have the time
to spend on this, and in the right kind of weather, success will crown his efforts.

E. Marquis, Mulberry, Kas.—Successful. The weather was very hot and dry for
about eight days after I began scattering out the diseased bugs. I could see no ef-
fect from them at all, and was getting discouraged; thought it was no good; then
rain came, and, to my astonishment, the disease seemed to take them like magic.

They were dying by the thousand, with the white fungus on their backs. The result

proved to be an outright success.

‘A. HE. Martin, Assaria, Kas.— Doubtful. As to the result of my experiment with -

chinch-bug infection, I cannot say whether it was successful or not, but will tell all
I can about it. When I first sent to you for infected bugs, last July, the chinch
bugs here were coming out of the wheat fields in countless numbers, and first at-

tacked a field of sorghum, where they killed about an acre in a very few days, but.

later they did not seem to work as fast. I took the bugs you sent me and put them
In a box according to directions. When the time was up I took the bugs and seat-
tered them through the fields. There were quite a number of white-fungus-covered

bugs on the bottom when I didso. Some days later I went to examine the fields,

and, upon overturning lumps of earth, I found what appeared to be large bunches
of dead and dying bugs, but not any white-fungus-covered ones; yet I thought that
it was due to the infection. Later in the day I went over to two of my neighbors
and found that the bugs were bunched and almost disappeared out of their fields,
also, although they had used no infection. Later on I sent you some of those ap-
parently dead bugs, but which upon your examination proved to be only dried
skins, as you told me in your reply. I kept the infection box going for two or
three weeks, but after the first time I was able to find very few fungus-covered bugs
on the bottom. The weather at the time was extremely dry and hot, which I sup-
pose was not favorable, but the chinch bugs did very little damage after I started
to use the infection; but as this was equally true of fields where no infection was
used, I cannot say what caused them to cease doing injury.

S. E. Miller, Roxburg, Kas.—Successful. I think it wasasuccess. Think I saved
a field of sorghum and a part of acornfield. Had a field of rye, and, as it was ready
to harvest, I scattered bugs thick along No.1 line. Had not bugs enough to go
through between the corn and rye, so gathered more bugs, and when they were ready
to scatter, went to No.1 line and found bugs in the sorghum from 10 to 40 feet.
Thought at first the crop was gone, but on closer examination I saw that there was
something the matter with the bugs; they were not on the stalks, but were running

1
h,

Ue Aled dal
ri

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 33

around on the ground; in short, the ground was red. Then I went on to the corn-
field to see if they were like the others, and found them all right. The corn was
black all through No. 2 part, but No. 3 had no bugs, so I went to fighting on the
double dotted line and saved No. 3, but No. 2 part they took slick and clean and.
not a stalk remained. I had a neighbor go on No. 1 line and he said it was a hum--
bug; that it was the sorghum that had killed them. The next day I was riding by a
sorghum field three miles from mine and the bugs were taking it. They were in it.
about 100 yards. I got over into the field and found them lively and well. Sorghum
had n’t even made them sick. Then I went to work on my corn in dead earnest. Got.
dead bugs and live bugs from No. 1 line and carried them over to my fighting line,.
and as a result I saved my sorghum field and the No. 3 part of my cornfield.

James Molby, Weltbote, Kas.— Successful. I failed to keep any dates or memo--
randa, as I had exhausted my enthusiasm and well nigh my faith working with some.
bugs given me by a neighbor before receiving those from you. The infection sent
by you worked like a charm. I don’t think a bug escaped from the field where I
placed it. I have a box of dead bugs which I shall test on the first handful of bugs.
I can capture in the spring.

A. J. McAllister, Heber, Kas.— Successful. On Monday, July 2, gathered about:
one pint of bugs, put them in a box, as you described in directions, and placed the
box in the cellar. On Friday afternoon Mr. Foster called to see what my bugs were:
doing. We opened the box out in the dooryard; found quite a number of dead
bugs, (we were in the open sunshine,) perhaps one-tenth of the amount, and the.
live ones were scrambling to get out and crawling over each other. We discovered:
that those that were getting out were dying as fast as exposed to the sun. My eyes
are getting dim, but I could see that all were covered with the white fungus. I
have a small field (four acres) back of the orchard that was sown to wheat. The
wheat was harvested this same morning. There is a draw crossing diagonally this
piece of land, and in the draw is a patch of elders, grown up through the wheat.
The wheat was tall, rank, and green. So the boy drove the harvester around this
little patch, about two rods long and one rod wide. Ina short time the bugs were
all gathered in this standing grain and elders. I think it a reasonable statement
when I say that there were a bushel of bugs in that patch. I took my box of in-
fected bugs right down there, knowing that there was moisture and shade, and in
just five days I never saw the like here; they were so piled up that I could have
scooped them up with a shovel. They had a disagreeable smell, and their appear-
ance was as if they had been covered over with a thin syrup. Where they lay thin
they were covered with white fungus. I had intended calling in my neighbors to
witness the destruction, but a heavy rain spoiled that. Anidea now struck me: that
as soon as the grain is cat, if the field is invaded with bugs, haul some green brash
as soon as there is sufficient width cut, and throw a few about 20 rods apart. It is
shade the chinch bugs hunt for. First have your infected bugs ready, and those
that accumulate there will never leave. Across the road Mr. S. E. Smith had 40
acres of wheat, and opposite that I had 50 acres of corn. The bugs crossed the
road and through the hedge in a single day, until the corn was full for three rows in.
Scattered bugs all along. They accumulated around the roots and died, right at
the time. The drought set in, and we had but little corn; but it was not destroyed
by the chinch bugs.

Michael Neuhalfen, Doniphan, Hall county, Nebraska.— Successful. Did not fol-
low the directions closely; did not have the box in a sunny place; just scattered a
few infected bugs in one end of the field, and in a week the field was clear. The re-

oe

pod Pwr eh LE BAUME EC fe) Oe SO ote CARS nin at hhh Oe a ee ee Fae 8 PP wa “eee Sie eee
Vee Are aT le ele ot hie ate ie Ce ue ee ‘~ » ins MO RMA Ohta eta L re Cagis |
: 7 x! " ) i HAC, 7 hte a Ve

34 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATI ON. °

sult was excellent. The bugs were checked in their destruction of crops. They
were partially exterminated in the field. Saved about 250 bushels of oats. Did not
save corn, as there would not have been any anyhow.

C.W. Peter, Randolph, Kas.—Successful. I received the infected bugs you sent me
and gave them a thorough trial. I hada piece of winter wheat in which the bugs
bred, and were there by the millions, and on the south of the wheat I had oats, and
on the north, corn. They moved into the corn the full length, 80 rods, and in this i
corn I put the infected and dead, molded bugs and put them outanumberof times.
I had two boxes and kept a good supply on hand, and will say it worked to a charm
in the boxes, and I think I did a thorough job scattering them. About this time we
had a number of good rains and I noticed after a few days quite a good many dead
bugs; but on the south of the wheat, in the oats, where I did not put any dead or
infected bugs, I found them in piles, dead by the millions. They were found in
piles, dead, in my neighbors’ fields also. I believe they will take the disease and die,
if the grouud is wet, or there is sufficient moisture.

S. F. Ralston, Walnut, Kas—— Unsuccessful. In reply, will state that it was not a 7
success in my case, but perhaps it was partly my fault, as I had to be away from a4
home so much of the time that I could not attend to it as should have been done. ;
I had to leave it to my youngest boy, 14 years old. He attended to it as well as he
could. But we had such very dry weather just as the wheat was cut, and the bugs
were so thick that they just went into the corn in swarms. That field of corn was
late planted, and between the bugs and dry weather it will not yield five bushels of
corn to the acre. And another thing, the corn was too thick on the ground, aver-
aging, perhaps, three stalks to the hill, which is at best too much for our thin, hard-
pan land. All these different causes effected an almost entire failure of the crop.

H. C. Reeder, Wichita, Kas.—Successful. When the infected bugs arrived, I
gathered and infected them, and put them on each side of my field, for there was
no bugs in my field to infect. Now for an explanation: Last year I got infection ;
from you, andI “ paralyzed” every chinch bug in my field, and I believe the infection
lived through the winter, and, consequently, no bugs. Ialso furnished infected bugs
to a neighbor who hada fine field of corn. There was wheat on each side of his corn- |
field, and those wheat fields were full of chinch bugs. When the wheat was cut, the
bugs went into the cornfield by the wagon load. I gave him infected bugs, and told
him to gather two wooden water buckets full of bugs from the field, and 48 hours
after he put out the first lot, and I had him put them out every three days for two
weeks. After the first lot went out the bugs stopped work. He only lost about four >
acres of his corn—two acres on each side—the balance made good corn, except
what was cut short by the drought. Some of his corn made 40 bushels to the acre,
and was a great success.

Frank Robertson, Lowemont, Kas.— Successful. I sent for some of your infected
bugs last June and used them according to directions, and found it to work beyond
expectations. After scattering them over the field, it wasn’t but a few days till
they commenced to die in great quantities all over the field.

Wm. Rogers, Lee’s Summit, Mo.—Successful. I received infected bugs from Mr. a
Wm. Hoke, of Lee’s Summit. Perhaps you would like to know the result. Well, I
had 18 acres of millet adjoining 90 acres of wheat badly infested with bugs; so IT
considered my millet doomed. I thought I would make an effort tosave it. Intwo
days after wheat was cut the bugs had killed the millet five or six rods from the _
fence. On Tuesday I got the infected bugs, and gathered about a quart of bugs; on ~
Thursday I scattered them among the thickest of the bugs. I thought it was a

.

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 35

hopeless case. On the following Tuesday I was in the field scattering another lot;
the bugs had made very little progress since I scattered the infected bugs. They
had gathered in heaps, some dead. The live ones would crawl under the dead ones
and under corn stalks and some running in all directions; scme would turn white.
They did very little damage afterwards. I cut a good cropof millet. I found a few
spots where some of the old ones had flown ahead of the others and deposited a
fresh lot of eggs, in thin spots that I did not notice until I commenced to cut the
millet. I was very persistent in scattering the infected bugs. I had no wheat, but
I will give you my opinion on fighting them in the wheat fields early in the season.
I think the greatest difficulty is to get the diseased bugs in contact with the others.
I find the old bugs remain in and around the roots of the wheat. I think care
should be taken to put the diseased bugs in the roots of the wheat, as the diseased
bugs are not able to crawl very much, and soon die.

J. M. Smith, Baxter Springs, Kas.— Successful. The fact is, the chinch-bug in-
fection you sent me was most satisfactory. The bugs, when I wrote you, were very
bad in four pieces of corn on the placeI amon. I got the bugs, and we went at
them. Ina few days they were all gone, and let me tell you when we commenced
on them we could gather a quart in five minutes. I then commenced to give the
infected bugs to my neighbors, and all tell me the same story; the corn was saved,
and as many as 10 or 12 men are ready to testify to this statement.

Stephen Stagg, Tonovay, Kas.—Unsuccessful. I had practically no success with .
your remedy. I kept the bugs, as instructed, for one week in a box, dampened (so
much so that some mold came in the box), but not to excess, and out of hundreds
of bugs continually coming in contact with them I only found a very few, say 6 to
12, of fungus bugs. I then turned some out and got a lot more fresh bugs in; kept
them in a week, and did the same with them; then I got more fresh, and, after keep-
ing them in the house a few days, I carried the box, bugs and all, right into the
cornfield, and, as some could crawl out all the time, I thought that I surely would
find plenty of dead bugs on the stalks in close proximity to the box, but was disap-
pointed. I tried all I could think of, even to placing individual bugs in the joints
of the leaves, amongst the live bugs, but I saw no results; they gradually gained on
my cornfield till they became dispersed generally through it. They came in from
oat stubble adjoining, and, I am sorry to say, I did not go along the first six rows
of corn when they first started and knock them off into a box and burn them, for I
know I could have killed four-fifths of them that way; but I wanted to give your
fungus a fair show, so left them, and now I have no faith in the remedy. The
weather was fairly favorable, the ground moist all the time, as we had one or two
rains about that time —it was the latter part of June, I think. You may not re-
member, but when I wrote you first, I inclosed you some dead bugs I found in the
oat field, and you pronounced them true fungus-dead bugs —that was before receiv-
ing any from you. Now, my opinion is, that the fungus may attack old bugs when
they are about played out, or after they are dead, but not a good, healthy, lively
bug; or how could thousands of them pass and repass over the dead ones in the
box, as I have watched them do, and still no results occur. It would be a grand
thing for Kansas if it were a sure thing, but it is so doubtful and so much trouble
to carry out, that I do not hope for relief fromit. The bugs kept breeding right
along, and young ones getting thicker all the time I was treating them. I hope you
may yet give us some surer relief, though I think there will not be much oats or

wheat planted here next season.

L. W. Truesdell, Concordia, Kas.—Successful. We followed directions as nearly
as possible, and with great success. We had about 14 acres of corn, with wheat on

’ yr

36 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

the south and oats east and west. Finding the bugs were about to take it as the
small grain was about to ripen, we put the bugs (infected) in the edge of the wheat
and in the corn, and that was the last of them. East of the oats we had 20 acres of
wheat, which we plowed up about the 10th of June and put into corn. When the
corn was up ready for the cultivator, we found that it was alive in spots with young
chinch bugs; we at once distributed infected bugs, and that was the last we heard
of them. The man who cultivated the field said he saw no more of them north of —
that field; and east of the wheat field a tenant had a piece of late corn and the bugs
came in from the wheat stubble on the west. He had, by my advice,sentto youfor —
infected bugs, and was prepared for them. He told me that one infection finished __
them. We believe the infection has been a decided success on our farm of nearly ~ f
400 acres —tried by ourselves and two tenants.

D. J. White, Clements, Kas.—Successful. When I first put them out, early in
June, the bugs were very scarce, and the ground dry; therefore, it was almost im-
possible to do the work properly, and I only put out one batch of infected bugs; i
ut, after the rains in the latter part of June, the bugs began dying in great num- :
bers, the ground being covered in places with fungus-covered bugs. The disease 4
worked so effectively that the bugs did no harm to corn in adjoining fields after my f
wheat was cut. i

Stephen Wilson, Washington, Kas.—Unsuccessful. I received the infected bugs x

in due time, and I complied with the instructions you sent in regard to starting the
infection in boxes, and succeeded admirably. Scattered some at three different
times in the cornfield, but the disease had no effect at any time in the field, but I
was not at all surprised, as rain, dew or moisture of any kind was apparently a.

thing of the past. Yes, I verily believe, under favorable conditions, that it would —
be a success; anyhow, I intend trying again next year. Yet, what good can one

man in a community accomplish, when people on all sides of him are indifferent to

the matter? 7 :

IV. SUMMARY OF RESULTS OF FIELD EXPERIMENTS IN KANSAS,

FOR 1894.

County. 82 KANSAS COUNTIES. uefa. Ga prim,
CURSOR EE 9 eR Si Ca a NN ea a pc 3 1 a 4
PURO EOED Pore actA Me Unt s Aah ane indy) ote ey ead 16 4 6 26
FULL STETO TT aco Mee ha eee SG SR Cn TS a ne 15 16 8 39
BABOON ety piste Seats ra ty Coe fw ohtes mee oe ee See 2 4 1 4
PME DORE ear e cre aria Ree ee EE hel bik ie cue oe 15 15 10 40
Brown..... 2 5 3 10
EU 6 iia cE 9 DOE A A Lo NS 7 a 7 21
freak Eos GST ak ee ea ak. ane 11 9 11 31
SemUNAREA WRN TLUL OY. Cd1e ciskntins aie gad Wath Roa ates cee ea eine oh 4 1 2 7
BUHOEOHRECr Nee aac trac aet chanel aro R it athe Oe ale 5 5 21
SES GSA SOROS IR A RO 8 iin CAD ER 31 26 23 80
CELT EET SALMA SAS a a eC Pe a 29 30 11 71
1 Let nT SOREN SOE AER) ita a a 7 3 3 13
“CAPS Raa SRA ADF SEU at Od QT De 2 2 i 5 i
Crawford......... SP AUS EES Sl cote ERC RCE ed 20 10 11 roa
ARE ret cn hai Sha ic CORE a ERN Ke Hao Balin Oa nk ee 1 1 ee 2 \

BRIE TSDC Cutten More pels TRC yas cat GG Sy) pit 11 9 2 22

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT.

KANSAS COUNTIES — ContTINUED.

PRE Ars iptarel iatoeaea an ac Pay OV Lar aita ol ana oVolial ap syle
J See OEa PO OIG! Meant aI a mee
5 JME: Catig sen Me GLARE i cor rang oS SIR ee Et SI ab Teta ae
MPR eee eevee oat SHAMS Wasnt, cheers cha’ sl's’ shale, St Spain te Shales
Mae RM Syst es here Lahaye ts) a9 stan a ace bahay ets ee
EBste talvis: chetey cic iate ne hemetenaeHa Ra jajieolorei crepe! age yanteseiers
MI eat Ta koa he aR OR Kalyan trades toret Giant AyraLate sah ore ves
no ae GR AG Bone cating thts Paes SELLE rere ROR IE a
BSAA Lane tar sveh sali te cf evar cgatun esha a) ayo (ter eh ays Meeldaeiehe dl
§ bactig bilo €h Ote JUN IER iia Cie eae oe Oa nome cats cere
SMa ede revere cliche Sante spelt elute Snlaraen rare
SPR M et tr areremaetory usa neaislese /arary va Veco van sts auashlahaelieralits
LS Ga Store Woe Mattson Belay cena Sidon
BEENHCS TIE AW fAyeve a clhare SU s ls cig aps

JaB SE ANS ol CHRIS BUrraas STOR OP RCE Mara ens
PBR datnvaberaTaystes ote cclaste Wiel cours lalel Ae atatenea eeeyue svebavenec
Je Lumb Sigd SRE ee Pot eI Acie ROME fica.c Aone ne
Sem dattitier } cahengtp hoo BOAD MAS ceRean Sane
ReMi icten inven tata swe reat at aketetisncive
Sie 6 Beer Cb On iE ie SURO clo diy Ale io ae ale
WO SSI ERS Hie ARCS CRG ELC ORE In eS Rane
Se HEM ME OR MDGS Bho Doe Goa piana mh Hoe
Ski ontoe 2 TAG ALOEG AOTC Te POSERG Pn EIr cyt tae
aiSuna Ss Cptit SER AeU CS ge UA en UCRSeRe. SED cies roy cae

Ce

CC ee cy

DVERRIED EO EITOLY, crete. chefs c ai eVavatctiors, a areteieolia a/simiiel's 4s ehisvel ey tials

Ce ey

Pe i ey

Ce ee ee

Suc-
cessful,

14
22

Unsuc-
cessful.

54
1
2
6

13

wr oa:

15
14

Sat te os

Amwnm wWwmrw wor »

_
bo @

38 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION.
Suc- Unsuc- Doudt-

County. KANSAS COUNTIES —ConcLuDED. cessful. cessful. Sul. Total,
LETTE) A a gi Pe aa ere OA TERU EL Ye Aialane Nee: aiene sae 4 6 1 11
SIR Ele cette Cares eters Patcunie Gin are foseT ela vheteveitele das ea Ayal auk s 11 3 6 20
ITO RS ae Tae CON Coch Trsidlowars cle Mansi Sceielsis ein aah ove 16 29 19 64
ISM AV TOM PUAN Mann else pra alshAd aerciele elt iyis's oleh 5 2 3 10
PURENIVILOO eee ee eainorttch it ate hc rolerecatale, siedie ess hiehajeo 29 26 13 68
SEG eS BENS U9 be ae ea a na 1 ee i
Shepard avy he aes We ee aC AR Ser a ES 10 6 2 18
LON ees ea ate cis ee ake Gbidiels Sane wade ae 5 6 3 14
ST ETE a ee Bae gr ee a Ae a nL a ee 1 2 ; 3
LUNGS SERS abe dain Sia ae 7A Sa Syn rieian has arena Ed! we i 1
SVT ETERS Gemeente wranretrre i asioaiNe fa ete oleate Sie secuieie,e 2a els 18 17 19 54
ViVeysye Tia ey Vee Pe Aue re un ee ee ae Se ana ar 33 24 21 3
RU AUEN EET) fe CORR ee AU, ONC erties ee a 2 1 iS
UTA NODE Ra ia tite races loeilatas ate icles sh st aioe © iste 6 2 12
STE Katha) SEN cs OT a a a Til 5 2 18

AGES Aen et ire ee itv esetetslctere couse, Gas do chee, s 875 741 403 2019

V. SUMMARY OF FIELD EXPERIMENTS IN OTHER STATES.

Suc- Unsuc- Doubt-

State. cessful. cessful, Sul.
PME REISE eU NE CE erases Tuucte ee. Shs Gr dis oleCielanale tee bighereere 3 2 ay
LUUSPETSIS) 1 9 Sa ole eG sO a a - 15 22 15
NOTA MOTI GO LY ins esas clefidie sol eiaye istele’ = Picial «i ehs.$) setae 15 4
LON Blige Ly SY SiS AS te Bac ae a 1 1 Sr
TESTE TAS SSN OE Se Sze A aaa t 1
EMINNORO Lee era Maes ote vette ee war clinic ic cw, sated saee 1
SUITES VESEY CY SV LA SIA ot Nihal ta No EE RS 1 He NZ
VEL OLEL Mee cm rere ei tiairaahatelouy stats io aligwiie<e sclats stecetiass 126 126 64
1 EVES ES PRG Se Sal ae PR 14 9 10
BNC TOMITE rls aa AME Hiss o sloRislecicle vce visio ttuke as 1 1
DHE CB Reh SIE, NUR ULL APN aR A eR ee 1 1 1
PTH ORIN EE MEAL yt eee Steet ta fase wacko os eaters iu 16 11
MOMania ee ie ca cla neem tr em uuid a okt SN yey 1 1 ies
VORP TTET 5. ieee oh aN Sy SR Ak aS esr Be a ai 1
INVES LEIT OMe SIS Talo cei tees) viele faians tuctaaia isis ee, Pe wheter edas il af
VAVEESTSOUIOIS) Fa RSE: Cal Be ea ane es 5 2 1

STD) PE NE PP SS TS ele Ae Groen Pn ee ae 196 185 111

Total.
5

52
23

VI. EXPENSES OF THE KANSAS UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL
STATION FROM FEBRUARY 16, 1894, TO APRIL 6, 1895.

Paid

for materials and supplies in laboratory:

J. N. McFarland & Son, 20 infection boxes............... $30 00
Duncan & Stevens, iron hooks and eyes.................. 1 07
DEM OR VER. COLON ac. too ud Kale cei Gh cee cist a he Gm 30
Richard Kny & Co., apparatus. .... 0... 0... ccc cece eee 7 60
Bausch & Lomb Optical Company, apparatus............. 27 75

$66 72

si }
id for office supplies:
y Learnard, pencils, pens, ink, etc...............-46.
a o; Snag & Co., copy books...

4 een Journal sarees paper and printing...
_G. J. Graves, paper. .

1 for extra Office help:

BG ROMGTAVOR tN Geka we eccee sos
Bite, Li, Stowart,.. 0.0. 0.05.5..
- Frank Snow...........

SB MO KANNON!! iscsi. oo!

oa: MOsteri sais otc

Paid toe traveling expenses:
MNT A SELOW ie a nies ar sicied ‘siacare avi atond ale
NE ICRC E EY ick cow's ce Bids ee ines
Wars Mio Mournaiyy oo:.\cii5 eiere wie
BE SDOW. so 26 woe te at os

aid for labor in laboratory:
Bere Ae Davis fe 2 je ode wi Sckse eld eens
PR IRAREOT HS oc lcycvevaiiae es
Mr NE A MID ULTU Gs cca ial 4a, aistal'e sys hieioiy’ +
See eie Prn MEREOY 5 ooo eae a's 5
W.H. Menke...

J. E. Baker ...
C. W. Baldridge
; M. AY Barber. 0...

572 39
Reon Sy (oc

my th Fe Pat yr aDy, < . a
ath OR eS 2 nye Tea 7 eh

EXPERIMENTS WITH CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF ANIMALS
AND INSECTS OF EUROPE. )

Mr. Jean Danysz, of the Pasteur Institute, has given a detailed account *
of recent experiments for the transmission of contagious diseases among
noxious animals and insects. As his methods and conclusions are of im-
mediate interest to American farmers, it is thought best to embody herein a
resumé of his report.

When insects and rodents appear in great numbers they succumb to con-
tagious diseases, but unfortunately these epidemics come spontaneously only
after the crops have been destroyed. Many experiments tried in recent
years have shown that rodents can be artificially infected with great suc-
cess. Field mice are the most numerous of European and American ani-
mals. Of the several species of field mice, Arvicola agrestis or arvalis and
A, subterraneous are the most widespread and dangerous to crops. They
appear suddenly towards the end of summer in legions, attacking forage _—
plants, cereals, vines, and young trees. Nine great invasions of these field ©
mice have been noted in France from 1822 to 1892. These animals were
formerly thought to be migratory, but late researches have shown that all
are born near where they are found, sometimes spreading to adjoining fields
only. The intensity and rapidity of their invasion is due to incredible
fecundity and the preponderance of the females. The progeny of a single
pair may number 390 individuals in a year. When the number becomes
extremely great in a given locality they lack for food and become an easy
prey to disease. Epidemics occur spontaneously, and so nature herself fur-
nishes means for destroying these pests, but not at the right time. To turn
these artificial diseases to advantage it is necessary to regulate them, to
choose one that is injurious only to rodents and not to farm animals, and
to create centers of infection at a time most favorable for preventing in-
vasions.

A microbe found on a field mouse killed by an epidemic in Seine-et-Marne
is a bacillus. It develops rapidly in all known artificial nutritive media.
It presents very dissimilar features according to the media and the condi-
tions of culture. It has been found to be virulent for all species of moles,
domestic mice, wood and garden mice and black rats in France. Its action
on big gray rats is less apparent. It is always fatal and extremely conta-
gious. At an autopsy, there is generally found hypertrophy of the spleen,

es es . sie RS eae oss
Se re ae ee ne = a

ee ee

ee ot. ite

* Maladies Contagieuses des Animaux Nusibles leurs Appli i i i
Peue macahomiasnciaee pane 1 pplications en Agriculture, in Annals de la
(40)

ny
a
Ni

—-

a

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 41

fatty degeneration of the liver, and general congestion of the intestines and
the peritoneum. Cohabitation suffices to communicate the infection. A

hypodermic injection of 0.1 cc. of a decoction of cultures of 24 hours’ stand-
ing generally kills the mice in 12 to 24 hours.

Before putting virus at the disposal of the farmers, experiments were
made with rodents in the fields belonging to two agricultural schools. In
the first few days of March, 1893, pieces of bread impregnated with the
virus were distributed in the infested fields. From the fourth day after-
ward, dead mice were found in the field and in adjoining fields lying on the
surface of the ground. In April, the field was partially plowed, and sub-
terranean passages were brought to light filled with the bodies of mice all
more or less eaten. The rapid propagation of the disease is partially due to
the fact that the mice eat their dead. In immediately adjacent fields, as in
the ones experimented upon, the mice were exterminated. No injurious
effects were noted in the farm animals that eat of the dead mice.

After the efficacy of this virus had been shown by actual field experi-
ments, the farmers demanded its application to their own fields. Trials on
a large scale in different parts of France were made with complete success.
The expense amounted to 3 fr., 15 cents, per hectare.

In a storehouse at Amiens, all the mice (Mus musculus) disappeared in
20 days after the distribution of the saturated bread. As in a neighboring
storehouse they kept on increasing, their disappearance must have been due
to the virus.

In the instructions furnished the farmers, it is recommended that two or
three distributions of the saturated bread be made in order to completely
eradicate the pest. The mice are most numerous in August and September,
and the virus acts best at that time on account of their density.

_ The first distribution of impregnated bread should begin in August,
right after the harvesting of cereals, and continued in September and Oc-
tober in fields of beets, potatoes, etc. This first application generally de-

stroys 90 to 95 per cent. of the mice. The epidemic thus started continues

i

os”

of itself for at least six weeks. One month or six weeks after the first dis-
tribution, the impregnated bread should be placed at all the new holes in
the field. The total cost of three distributions should not exceed more than
5 franes per hectare (about 50 cents per acre). If the whole farm cannot
be treated at once, portions of it can be infected at any time, as the rodents
are not migratory.

The virus preserves all of its properties in the laboratory for several
months. A maximum virulence is obtained from 5 to 20 days after the
preparation of the tube.

For the destruction of the large gray rats (Mus decumanus), which cause
annually numerous losses to crops in many countries, a stronger virus must
be used. The same microbe, rendered more active by a series of inocula-
tions on these rodents of larger size, is found to act as successfully as does

the weaker virus in the case of the field mice.

/
Mt
(Mi)
‘

42 STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

M. Danysz treats at length also of the muscardine on the hedge cheese
or June bug (Melolontha vulgaris). This fungus disease is called by Mo
Giard Isaria densa, and by Messrs. Prillieux and Delacroix Botritus tenella. % .
Tt is also called the rose-colored muscardine, to distinguish it from other
similar fungus diseases. The white grubs or larve of the hedge chafer pre-
sent a rose color when dead from this disease. In dry and sandy soils the —
bodies of the grubs so killed are hard, brittle, and covered with fine down ie)
excepting on the head and legs. In wet, clayey soils the fungus, besides —
the white shroud, sends out numerous prolongations sometimes 2 or 23 inches —
in length, which hold together pieces of earth, roots, and other grubs. These
dead and mummified grubs are found at a depth of 8 to 12 inches. In the
beetle the white covering occurs only on the ventral surface of the head, __
thorax, and sometimes the end of theabdomen. The fungus becomes easily _
transmissible only when its spores are matured, and it can only be used in
this state to spread contagion. Wind, rain and living beings are the agents i:
for spreading the disease, by scattering the spores. ‘

Not much success has yet been had in the artificial dissemination of this __
disease in the field, but these poor results are due only to insufficiently
studied methods of procedure. The destruction of beetles and grubs by
natural epidemics of muscardine being a fact, it does not seem impossibleto
propagate these diseases artificially. From researches made by Dufour, it —
is proved that spores collected from dead insects are more virulent than
those developed from artificial cultures. Laboratory experiments by Dela- __
croix and others have shown good results. Forty to fifty per cent. of the
beetles treated succumbed. The experiments so far have been insufficient,
and the following points must yet be determined: (1) Composition and
preparation of nutritive media that will give the greatest virulence and the _
greatest number of spores; (2) method of using these spores to contaminate —__
the greatest proportion of the subjects treated; (3) the stage of develop- __
ment of the insects most favorable to infection; (4) the method of proced-
ure to obtain the virus at the lowest price.

M. Danyz also recommends that every farmer or commune set aparta
small trial field in which to propagate the muscardine on the white grubs, ;
and to proceed carefully, observing everything bearing on the subject. In 3
the following year adjoining fields should be infected from the trial field,
and this should be kept up for three years. He thinks that one of the most
important factors toward the ultimate success of the muscardine as a white- RG)
grub eradicator is its use by all cultivators. Pah

It is probable that in whatever soils it can develop the muscardine lives” oe
in the ground in the state of a saprophyte; that it first attacks subjects —
most disposed to contract the disease, and that, having regenerated its viru- _
lence in passing through the bodies of the first white grubs attacked, it be-
comes, or rebecomes, a parasite. By continuing to infect the June bugs and 3
their larvee by means of artificial cultures, the virulence of the fungus can i

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 43

be maintained; and by multiplying centers of epidemic, one will simply aid
nature to spread the disease rapidly and to render it more intense.
In addition to the results achieved in America, the work and experiments
of the Russian scientists, Metchnikoff and Krassilstchik, have shown that
it is possible to find on insects invading fields in great numbers parasitic
fungi which destroy them, and that these fungi can be cultivated on artificial
nutritive media, and, so to speak, manufactured as an article of commerce.
The numerous trials of the infection of white grubs made in France in
the last four years have shown incontestibly that, in the struggle with the
underground insects, the processes of Messrs. Krassilstchik and Snow can
never give appreciable results. An insect like the chinch bug runs around
actively, comes in contact with others, and the spores are quickly dissemi-
nated. On the other hand, the white grub, being isolated in the soil and
slow of motion, and the muscardine being of comparatively slow growth,
the methods applicable to the treatment for the chinch bug cannot be ap-
plied here.
Insects living on or above the surface of the ground can be treated with
_ success by the methods adopted by Krassilstchik and Snow, but to destroy
_ by contagious disease insects and larve underground it is necessary, in order
to provoke the development of fungi, to thoroughly infect the soil. This is
_ difficult, but not impossible, as is shown by the natural epidemics which
decimate the white grub. ;
In general, it may be said that the number of entomophytic fungi is very
large, and that eventually there will be found a special parasite for every
d _ species of injurious insect, or, indeed, that several species will be infected
_ by the same fungus with equal facility. As to their practical application,
a very small number of these fungi have been studied and experimented
upon.

a sa es

] Pt

about 24x36x6 inches. Make the cover tight fitting, so that the bugs can-

ered with the white fungus that the infection is working in your boxes, »

APPENDIX.

DIRECTIONS FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING THE CHINCH-BU
INFECTION.

should be put into a tin box (a baking-powder box is excellent for this pur-
pose), without soil, and with a supply of green wheat or corn. The box i
should have a tight-fitting cover, and no holes need to be made. We hav
found that the bugs reach us in the best condition when sent in this way.
CHARACTER AND LOCATION OF INFECTION BOX.

Make a box of seven-eighths inch material (matched white pine is best), a)

not readily escape. Weather strips tacked about the upper a of the |

aud of service in keeping the bugs ir in.
It would be well for each farmer to have two boxes, and, after the first
box has become well started, he should start the second from infection ob-
tained from the first. ‘
Place the boxes so as to exclude them from the sun and wind—a baa ne
ment room is a good location.

TO START THE INFECTION IN THE BOXES.

Sprinkle the boxes thoroughly with water inside and out. Place aneven —
layer of garden soil in the boxes, half an inch deep. The soil should be —
free from leaves or anything liable to decay. Sprinkle the soil until it is A
moistened through, but not muddy. Put a thin layer of green wheat or corn ”
over the soil in the boxes, and distribute over this, at regular intervals, five | i
or six of the white-fungus-covered bugs. Now put into the boxes healthy _
bugs from the field until they are somewhat crowded, but not packed over
one another. Lastly, close and fasten down the cover.

Examine the boxes daily and sprinkle the sides and soil as often as ihe
appear to be getting dry. Do not, however, make the soil muddy. As soon
as the white-fungus-covered bugs begin to increase in your boxes, you may
commence to gather them for the infection of your field, but not before
You should be able to do this in three or four days. Always leave a few y
fungus-covered bugs in your boxes for continued infection. Replace the
green wheat or corn as often as it becomes yellow, and keep the boxes 3 r
plenished with healthy bugs from the field.

TO INFECT A FIELD WITH THE WHITE-FUNGUS DISEASE.
After you are made certain by the increase of the number of bugs co

‘ae

(44)

Pa

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 45

should gather from the boxes dead bugs and live bugs, white-fungus-covered
and non-white-fungus-covered, and scatter them in the field where the bugs
are the thickest, in the axils of the leaves and at the bases of the stalks.
If the fungus-covered bugs are abundant in the boxes the earth might be
taken from half of the boxes together with the bugs and scattered in the
field. The earth should be replenished as often as removed. You should
always take care, however, that some white-fungus-covered bugs remain in
your infection boxes, As fast as the bugs are taken from the infection boxes

_ they should be replaced by fresh bugs from the field. Continue to scatter

bugs from the infection box over the field at intervals of two days or less,
until it is seen that the bugs are dying rapidly all over the field. In no
case should efforts to spread the infection be relaxed, for persistence is al-
ways certain to bring about the destruction of the bugs, if the fields have
been properly infected and the weather is not too dry.

.

CONTINUED CARE OF BOXES.

If after a time the boxes should give off a smell of ammonia from the
decay of bugs or bits of wheat or corn left in the boxes, the boxes should be
cleaned out, earth and all, and, after airing a day, started anew as at the
beginning.

Keep the earth in the boxes moist, but never make it muddy.

Sometimes other fungi than the white Sporotrichum appear on the bugs
in the boxes. The only annoying one likely to appear is a yellowish-brown
one known as Aspergillus. This fungus does not kill the bugs, but it may
take possession of their dead bodies and become detrimental to the growth
of the white fungus. If the Aspergillus should appear extensively in the
boxes, clean them out and burn hay in them to kill the spores, and then
start the boxes again as at the beginning.

GENERAL REMARKS.

You should save up a quantity of the white-fungus-covered bugs for an
early start next spring. These should be put away in tin boxes where they
may be kept dry and above a freezing temperature. The fungus will re-
main alive in the bodies of the bugs for a year at least. Farmers who took
this precaution last summer have reported an early extermination of the
bugs in their fields this season. Should the first lot of infected bugs from
this Station seem to fail in their purpose, send without delay for a new sup-
ply. Careful attention to these directions will insure success, while careless
use of the infection will often fail. The requirements are few and simple,
but they are absolutely essential to success.

Note carefully the chinch-bug conditions in neighboring fields and urge
your neighbors to use the infection. Keepa list-of farmers who get infeated

bugs from your farm.
Do not fail to send me a full report, and in case of any difficulty write

. at once for advice. Do not be discouraged by the small number of infected

bugs received from the Station. Four bugs covered with the white fungus

_ will communicate the infection effectually.

\

e ae EXPLANATION OF FIGURES.

| Prate I, figure 1, culture of Sporotrichum growing on squash; f o
vt culture on Irish potato.

-Puate II, figures 1 and 9, Sporotrichum growing on the suits
coctions of squash; figure 2, culture on rabbit dung; figure 3, o
dung; figure 4, on squash; figures 5 and 8, Irish potato. In tube
8, the transfer was made from a growth of Sporotrichum found Ol
among leaves in a wood near a cultivated field, January 10, 1895. F
6, culture of Sporotrichum on turnip; figure 7, on ‘onion. oe

-magnified. At (a) is the red larval stage. ne (6) the black ae tage
ready to shed its skin and appear with wings. At ASE the pupal rae ne

est breath. At (d) is shown the adult bug just after Adee
pupal skin. At this time the bug is light pink in color and is o
taken for a sick bug because of its light color. The adult soon tak
dark color and appears as ‘seen at (f ).

is working is he presence in his field, under clods, fallen cover e
dead chinch bugs covered with a growth of the white fungus, s
- seen on the bugs sent out RPS the a ane station.

the body. Figure 2 ae the larger filaments much more ey
~ fied.

Plate I.

‘T ‘OI

Plate II.

Fie. 1.

Plate III.

Fic. 2.

Fie. 1,

Plate IV.

Fie,

(=o

aa

risa!

His

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES

VAM

3 9088 01491 7