144 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



temperature, which is considered as jDossibly due to the presence of 

 bacterial by-products. 



The investigations with reference to the com-ear worm showed 

 that in Kansas this pest has three full broods and one partial brood. 

 The larva? of the first three feed mainly upon the corn and the lat- 

 te]> part of the third and all of the fourth brood feed upon various 

 weeds and alfalfa. The w^ork on chinch bugs pointed out that this 

 pest winters extensively in the clump-forming grasses of the badly 

 infested parts of the State, and that most of the bugs can be destroyed 

 by running fire over these infested grasslands in such a way as to 

 burn the clumps down close to the ground. The bugs not destroyed 

 by the lire are thus exposed to the rigors of the winter. 



The agronomist published the results of several years' work with 

 the cowpea, in which the varieties "VVliippoorwill, Mount Olive, 

 Kew Era, and Gray Goose proved best for hay, "V^Tiippoorwill for 

 ensilage, and Xew Era as a catch crop after wheat. The best time 

 for planting the crop in central Kansas was found to be June 23 

 when grown for seed and about one week earlier than this when 

 grown for hay. "VVlien grown with corn for silage the combined crop 

 planted about June 1 gave the best results. A report was also made 

 on a test of varieties of oats and barley, the improvement of small 

 grains by selection and breeding, and the distribution of improved 

 seed grain. The four best producing varieties of oats were Red 

 Texas, Kherson, Sixty-day, and Burt; and Tennessee winter barley 

 yielded 15| bushels more grain per acre for 5 years than the best- 

 producing variety of sjDring barley. Spring wheat was inferior in 

 production to barley, oats, and emmer. Durum wheat yielded about 

 50 per cent more than the ordinary spring wheat. Winter wheat and 

 Avinter r\'e produced more bushels and more pounds of grain per acre 

 than any of the other grains. 



At the Fort Hays substation an area of 1,820 acres was under culti- 

 vation during the year, 1,500 in native grass, 180 in timber, and 300 

 acres leased. The experimental work canned on there included 

 wheat breeding, tests of varieties and methods of .culture, effect of ex- 

 change of seed and soil, production of improved seeds for distribu- 

 tion, and tests of varieties and methods of seeding oats, barley durum 

 wheat, and speltz for sj)ring culture, and of rye, emmer, and barley 

 for winter culture. Tests were also made of various other field crops 

 and their culture, of trees for windbreaks and park improvement, 

 and of vegetables and bush and orchard fruits. The experiments in 

 dry-land farming carried on in cooperation with the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry of this department were continued during the year on the 

 same lines as in previous years. 



The cooperative work of the station with farmers of the State was 

 mainly confined to the eradication of insect pests. The station also 



