36 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



signs of it. Would it be possible for you to send us a number of these insects that 

 have died of the disease, to be used in infecting our experiment plats, and enable 

 as to study the experiment?" 



The infected material was sent out on July 18th, and on the 30th the following 

 report was received from Mr. Waters: "Chinch bugs have died rapidly during the 

 last two days. Most of the dead ones are on the grass and weeds; comparatively 

 few die on the ground. Those dying on the ground, under the shade of weeds and 

 grass, develop a larger growth of mould than those found on the upper blades of 

 grass. So far the disease appears to be specially fatal only in or near the localities 

 infected July 21st, yet dead bugs covered with the mould are found in considerable 

 numbers several rods away from the spots tirst infected." Four days later the fol- 

 lowing was received from the same source: "I desire to say further, that in the field 

 first infected it is very hard to find a live chinch-bug. Two weeks ago they were 

 there by the million. Many dead ones can be seen." 



The following report was made by Professor F. M. Webster, entomologist of the 

 Indiana Agricultural Experiment Station, and for many years one of Professor 

 Riley's most trustworthy field-agents: "The germs of Entomophthora received July 

 20th have had the effect of destroying enough chinch-bugs to warrant the statement 

 that they communicated the disease and established it in the field. What the ulti- 

 mate result will be, and whether it will be of service to the farmer in dry weather 

 when he most needs it, are questions yet to be settled." 



The following is from a Clearwater, Minnesota, farmer, to whom infected mate- 

 rial was sent August 5th: "Every marked hill of corn was freed of bugs before the 

 corn was cut (1st to 15th of September), but still there were some bugs in the field, 

 but nothing in comparison to what it was when the fungoid bugs were planted, and 

 they seem to be semi-paralyzed. So firm is my belief in the efficiency of this method 

 that I have saved about 1,000 infected bugs for next year. Please accept my thanks 

 for the bugs, and I will hoist my cap for white fungus. — Thad. J. Woodwobth." 



The county treasurer of Worth county, Iowa, wrote as follows, September 2d: 

 "The dead chinch-bugs you sent me did good work. I did as you directed, and in 

 about eight days after I put them in my fifty-acre corn field the bugs began to die, 

 and now about two-thirds of them are dead. I will now take pains to get them 

 scattered over the county. — G. N. Haugen, Northwood, Iowa. 



"P. s. — The weather has been very dry since I commenced the experiment, July 

 22d; only one shower of rain in six weeks." 



The following two letters are samples of many communications from Kansas 

 iffl-T TTi ftrs * 



"Navarre, Dickinson Co., August 7. 



" I received your deceased cbinch-bugs now nearly three weeks ago. I followed the inclosed direc- 

 tions, only I mixed perliaps ninety or one hundred times as many as you sent. I put them in a tin 

 quart can and left them in there for about forty-eight hours. Three days afterward I went out and 

 looked, and to my surprise found some dead ones. I went out a week afterward and found lialf of 

 them dead. I passed the other day again and could scarcely iind any that had life in them, and what 

 few there were, were sick, so that they could hardly move. I certainly feel very grateful to you for 

 your kindness in sending me these few bugs, and I believe it will be a blessing to the country. 



J. H. Lenhart." 



"Larned, Aug. 1, 1889. 

 " Dear Sir : Your letter of the 18th ult. with the small box of chinch-bugs came to me safely. Your 

 directions in my experiments with the bugs were carefully followed. After the diseased ones had been 

 with the healthy ones for forty-two hours I took them to my farm, expecting to plant them, but found 

 I had been anticipated in the work of destruction by heavy rains. 1 then brought them back and put 

 them on the farm of Cai)t. A. C. Morris, just south of town, where there were bugs. They seemed to 

 perform the work whereunto they were sent, the bugs in the portion of the field infected being killed 

 80 far as I could observe. Of one thing I am well satisfied, and that is that the disease is communica- 

 ble, just to what extent my experiments have not been of a character to establish. 



Yours truly, Samuel Houston." 



