54 THE CHINCH BUG. 
FIRST ARTIFICIAL CULTIVATIONS OF SPOROTRICHUM GLOBULIFERUM. 
In April, 1891, Dr. Roland Thaxter succeeded in cultivating S. 
globuliferum artificially on agar-agar, and a month later Professor 
Forbes made similar cultures on the mixture of corn meal and beef 
broth, this last being an exceedingly valuable discovery, as it revolu- 
tionized our method of distributing the fungus by securing chinch 
bugs to be kept for a time with those diseased and then sent out to be 
scattered over the fields—a cumbersome method which was never satis- 
factory. The writer’s own work in Ohio was based on material ob- 
tained from Professor Forbes, and the first year he distributed in- 
fected chinch bugs, but after that he used the artificial base of beef 
broth and corn meal, finding the latter far more satisfactory to 
handle, and, so far as could be determined, equally effective. 
RESULTS OF FIELD APPLICATIONS IN OHIO. 
In regard to the writer’s own experience, it is unnecessary to go 
into details, except to state that, under the most favorable laboratory 
conditions, he was able to kill apparently perfectly healthy chinch 
bugs within three days after bringing them in contact with the Spo- 
rotrichum. In the fields, during the season of 1895, though upward 
of 750 packages of diseased bugs were sent out to farmers, and some 
astonishing reports of results received therefrom, yet his own obser- 
rations led him to believe that in many cases these were rather more 
imaginary than real. Over the areas where local showers occurred 
during the season of development of the first brood of young the 
effect was much more satisfactory. But in many cases the request 
for help came late, and soon after the fungus was applied the bugs 
scattered out over the fields, disappearing to the eyes of the ordinary 
farmer, who, of course, attributed all to the effect of the Spo- 
rotrichum. In 1896, however, meteorological conditions changed, 
and at last the writer had the good fortune to secure the very oppor- 
tunity for which he had been waiting for years. All through April 
and up to the 10th of May in southern Ohio there was little rain, and 
even during the remainder of the latter month the hght rains hardly 
sufficed to break the drought, so that there was a perfect breeding 
season for the chinch bug during the forepart of the breeding period. 
The result was that over some sections (see fig. 7) there were myriads 
of young bugs. ‘Then the rains came on, and there were presented 
the two essential requisites for success with the fungus, viz, chinch 
bugs and wet weather. 
Soon the demands for supplies of Sporotrichum began to pour in, 
and 1,200 packages were distributed within a few weeks, instructions 
being given to place the contents of the boxes where the chinch bugs 
