Sixth Annual Report. : 19 
During this year the northeastern counties of Kansas were 
_ the chief sufferers from the chinch-bug, while counties in the 
i southern third of the state, where in preceding years the bugs 
had done great damage, suffered comparatively little. This 
- condition was indicated by the fact that in 1894 there was a de- 
crease of 85 per cent. in the amount of infection sent to the 
southern counties and an increase of 140 per cent. in the 
- amount sent to the northern counties. At the same time the 
meteorological conditions in these two areas were not unlike. 
While Sporotrichum had carried off many of the bugs in the 
_ southern counties during the preceding years, yet there is no 
actual proof that the comparative scarcity of them was caused 
_ by that agency. By the farmers themselves it was ascribed to 
that cause. 
+ 1895.—The rainfall for the first five months of this year in 
eastern Kansas was very deficient. At the University it 
was smaller than in any season during the preceding twenty- 
ne eight years. Attempts to introduce disease among the bugs 
as during this dry period were, in very many cases, unsuccessful. 
_ The early wheat harvest, consequent upon the spring drought, 
- compelled the bugs to seek the corn while it was very young, 
and the injury inflicted upon it was very severe. Later in the 
season, with the rains, came disease, and. immense numbers of 
the bugs perished. In such a season as this one the farmer 
should use every available weapon in his warfare against these 
enemies. One of the best of these weapons is the construction 
of barriers at the time when the bugs in vast hordes are making 
their way from the wheat-fields to the corn-fields. During this 
, _ season experiments were carried on at the Station to determine 
te y the most effigient barrier. A detailed description of experiments 
