274 Kansas Academy of Science. 



verely from the inroads of the grasshoppers, nearly all vines 

 having been destroyed over a wide distance along the edges of 

 the field. A later planting of the same kind in another field of 

 com had been almost entirely devoured on the appearance of 

 the first leaves. The lespedeza had escaped material harm, 

 and all the cotton that was seen in the vicinity presented no 

 sign of molestation by grasshoppers. 



In an interview with another planter at Mix post office, he 

 said that the early ravages of the grasshoppers had caused the 

 loss of fifty acres of cotton and about the same acreage in cow- 

 peas, but otherwise his crops had grown right ahead and now 

 promised good yields. At the present time not very many of 

 the insects remained on his lands. He recalled a similar oc- 

 currence of the pests following a flood of several years before. 



Regarding the use of the fungus, however, the results turned 

 out disappointingly. The weather directly following the 

 first introduction made by the writer, on August 7, was occa- 

 sionally rainy, but the latter part of the month brought a "dry 

 spell. The planter was requested to report on the outcome, 

 and kindly did so on August 28, writing as follows : 



"I kept the culture you left with me for a day or two until it de- 

 veloped the mold which you predicted would appear on the corks. I 

 then took it to the fields and applied it to a number of grasshoppers, 

 being careful to select some of each kind. As you know, the grasshoppers 

 are very scarce and tests made under such circumstances are unreliable. 

 I have made since that time serveral searches and found no dead speci- 

 mens. There are now very few live ones. I regret being unable to give 

 you more definite information. I have also searched the places where 

 you applied the culture and found no dead hoppers." 



For the purpose of correcting a certain misunderstanding, 

 £vn explanation should be included here. Through a news cor- 

 respondent, a wrong impression was unfortunately circulated 

 concerning the use of plaster of Paris on cotton plants. This 

 misrepresentation led to the following inquiry being made by 

 the agriculturist of a large southern railway system. Only 

 the essential parts are quoted, with modifications. 



Little Rock, Ark., June 21, 1913. 



I have seen an item in a New Orleans paper stating that a party of 

 Oscar, La., has been successful in destroying grasshoppers and boll 

 weevils with plaster of Paris. It is also stated that the effect of this 

 substance was superior to that accomplished by a preparation advised 

 by the State Agricultural Department in destroying grasshoppers. Do 

 you know anything of these demonstrations, especially if this substance 



