834 



and tlif atinnspliore was in fjtMieral moist on account ot abundant rainfall. It w:iS 

 lonnd, liowevtTjtiiat the coin]iaiatively few experinients in the lield with the white 

 fungus infection {fipovotrhhum (/lobulifenim) in April and May were almost without 

 exception successful, resulting in the geueral destruction of the chinch bugs in the 

 wheat lields." 



Since the small size of the infection jars made it diflicult to breed the infectious 

 material in sufficient «inantitiesfordistribution. the author" provided two large cases 

 \vitli glass tops and sides, 6 feet iu length by 3 feet in breadth, and 3 feet in height. 

 Into each of these large ca.ses were placed from l.'),000 to 20,000 live, healthy bugs 

 from tlie fields. These bugs were provided with fresh wheat plants every day for 

 food, and among them were introduced a few of the white fungus bugs. In a short 

 time the white fungus disease had beconu' epidemic in these largo cases, and in 10 or 

 12 days the Ixittoms of the cases wen- thickly sprinkled with the fungus-covered bod- 

 ies of thousands of chinch bugs of all ages. From this tinu' onwanl there was no 

 difficulty in su])])lying the farmers with intcction. alth«>ugh apidiiations were n-ceived 

 each day in numbers from 2.") to lH.o. 



'• Later in the season it was found that comnnui shallow dry-goods boxes or shoe 

 boxes would fultil the re<|uirements of infection cages .ns successfully as the more 

 ex))ensive cases with glass sides .-ind tt>]is. 



"The lield experiments thronghi>ut the season were remarkably successful. Heports 

 have been received from 1.39Hof the more than 2.0(HI persons to whom infection was 

 sent. Of these, 1,071 (or Ttt.oo jier cent) indicate success. ISl (or 12.94 i)er cent) 

 indicate failure, ami 147 (or 10.51 ]>er c«'nt) are doubtful. 



"The infectious diseases of the chinch bug have been iutiodueed with destructive 

 etVect during all months of the year (from March to October) when chinch bugs have 

 been active in the lield. Crojis of all kinds have been rescued from destruction — 

 wheat, corn, oats, broom corn, barley, rye. .sorghnm, millo mai/.e, Kaffir corn, timothy, 

 and clov«T. » *• * 



" On .lune 28 A'wi;>»*«« aphidis was tirst notiied in the infecting case, fp to tlii.s 

 date it had not made its ap|ie.iranee in our labiuatory. Krom this time till the mid- 

 dle of August it multiidieil it** victims in the iul'ecting cases. Kor a .short time it 

 became more conspicuous than Spimilriihinii, ami then subsided. ' * * 



" During ,Iuly and August Spot olrh hum continued to sjiread through succesaive 

 lots of fresh bugs from the lields. Knipnsn was always present, but was not so con- 

 spicuous in its ravages hh Spomtriilnim. In the lirst weeks of .Seidember the disea.soj* 

 began to subside, and by the midflle of October neither Spomi rich inn n<ir Empu»a 

 ajiiieared to be sj)reading further. 



" [Young bugs as well as old ones were ilestroyed by the contagious diseases.] Tlie 

 evidence is abundant that as a rule only about I ilays elajtse after the introduction 

 of infection before the mass of the bugs in the vicinity of the spot where the infection 

 is ]iut entirely cease fnun their work of destruction. Iu cornlields where the stalks 

 were black with bugs for a considerable distiinee above the ground at time <»f intro- 

 du<iug thi^ infeition, the bugs in about 4 ilays became too sick to attemjd the further 

 feeding u])on the cro)). They tlien left the cornstalks, and although death did not 

 ensue until from the eighth to the twelt'tb dav. no d.image was done tn the crop 

 after the fourth day. ' * " 



"It must be renu-mbered that these contagious <liseases (»f the chinch bug are nat- 

 urally present in ceitain iiortiiuis df the Mississi))]»i basin during every year, and 

 beconu' epidemii- over large ]>ortions of this area in occasional years. The object of 

 my experiments has been to nrtitiridlh/ introduce the <liseases at times when they are 

 not iiaturaUn raging in the tiebls. It was found in 18itl that there w.a.s uo evidence 

 of a natural existence of either of the three diseases in any part of the State of 

 Kansas. This statement is abundantly substantiated by the detailed rejiort of the 

 lield agent. Mr. Mickey, and by the re)>orts of m.iny farmers. * * * It w.os also 

 established that in WM the disease did not spread to any great distance from one 

 farm to another. Although iu many couulics farms immediately adjaceut to a 



