AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 23 
In all about twelve hundred gallons of oil were distributed 
free of cost, through the county commisioners, to help the 
farmers combat the pest. This oil was judiciously used, but 
as the insects were so numerous the loss to the farmers was 
severe, although bushels of the grasshoppers were killed. 
With these two exceptions, and a slight outbreak near Twin 
Valley, and an early and limited attack near Glyndon, in Clay 
County, grasshoppers caused no loss in the state, so far as is 
known. 
In July another trip was made to the Hill River district, 
where hoppers were found by the thousands, feeding upon the 
wheat heads. The last trip to this region was made in Sep- 
tember, when consultations were held with the farmers as to 
the best means of proceeding the following year. Almost all 
united in the expression of a desire for some law which would 
compel the plowing of stubble land infested with eggs. 
Complaints of chinch bugs began to arrive at the station 
in July and during the summer Stearns, Isanti, Chisago, 
Dakota, Sherburne, Meeker, Kennebec, Lyon, Anoka, Hen- 
nepin, Wright and Waseca counties suffered from this persis- 
tent pest. Stearns, Isanti and Meeker were the worst suffer- 
ers. ‘These counties were visited and the farmers shown the 
best means of preventing the chinch bug from entering the 
corn, and given what help was possible under existing condi- 
tions. Demonstrations were resorted to in explanation of the 
dust furrow and tar line, and farmers were urged to kill as 
many of the bugs as possible, while they were migrating from 
the wheat to the corn, thus lessening the crop of bugs for the 
following year. 
The Hessian Fly has spread over the entire wheat raising 
area of our state. It well deserves to head the list of injuri- 
ous insects in 1902. The following counties were affected: 
©ttertail, Kennebec, Pope, Clay, Becker, Douglas, Meeker, 
Marshall, Rock, Isanti, Lyon and Morrison. Many infested 
farms were visited and it was found that the loss from this 
pest reached all the way from a fraction of one per cent to as 
high as fifty per cent. in a few localities. Many farmers not 
familiar with the Hessian Fly and its work ascribed the fallen 
wheat heads to the work of the chinch bug or of hail. The 
