Sixth Annual Report. 17 
1890.— The year 1890 was not a chinch-bug year in Kansas. 
Notwithstanding the fact that it was very dry and some parts of 
of the state suffered from severe drought, up to the middle of 
July I received but three applications for disease germs. Dur- ~ 
ing the whole year but thirty-eight boxes of infected bugs were 
sent out. Experiments in the laboratory were continued, and 
our methods of inoculating bugs were improved. 
1891.— In the winter of 1890-’91 the legislature of the state 
of Kansas made provision for the establishing and maintaining 
of the Experimental Station at the University of Kansas for the 
propagation of contagious diseases of the chinch-bug and the 
free distribution of the infection to farmers. The sum of $3,500 
was appropriated, to be expended under my supervision during 
the two years 1891, 1892. The funds. became available in 
March, 1891, and immediately arrangements were made for 
the infection of chinch-bugs on a large scale. <A laboratory was 
equipped for the study of insect diseases. Farmers who ap- 
plied for the disease germs were required to send to us a quantity 
of live bugs, and in return were furnished from eight to a dozen 
spore-covered bugs. More than 2000 persons were thus sup- 
plied, resident in .seventy-eight counties in Kansas and in 
twelve other states. Of this number of experimenters, reports 
were received from 1399. Of these reports, 1071 (or 76.55 per 
cent.) indicated success; 181 (or 12.94 per cent.) indicated 
failure; and 147 (or 10.51 per cent.) were doubtful ; 482 of the 
successful experimenters gave their own estimates of the num- 
ber of bushels of grain saved by the experiment. The sum of 
these estimates amounted in cash value to $87,244.10, or an 
average of $181 for each farmer. The year was a very wet one, 
but the chinch-bugs were generally prevalent in great numbers. 
1892.—In this year about 3000 lots of diseased chinch-bugs 
were sent out from the Station into seventy-seven counties of 
the state, and ten states and territories other than Kansas. Of 
those who reported the outcome of their experiments, 67.9 per 
- cent. reported it as successful, 24.5 per cent. as unsuccessful, 
and 7.8 per cent. as doubtful ; 383 of the successful experiment- 
ers estimated their savings by use of the infection at $39,481.15. 
__ 1893.—The legislature of the state of Kansas for the winter 
of 1892—’93 appropriated $4500, of which sum $1000 was to be 
Ng —2 
