Fourth Annual Report. 23 



D. E. Lamb, Peabody.— In reply to your favor of the 20th, would say that my in- 

 fection box worked successfully. I followed your directions to the letter, and in 48 

 hours the box was covered with white-fungus bugs, but it required about 10 days 

 before all the bugs in the box were dead. I had no opportunity to judge of the 

 effects of the weather or the working of the infection, as we had but one kind of 

 weather daring the experimental period, viz., extremely hot and dry. At first quite 

 a number thought the infection was working 'successfully, but finally not over 10 

 per cent, report favorably. I supplied 51 farmers with the infection, and took 

 special pains to explain how to work their infection boxes and apply to the fields. 

 The station was in operation about eight weeks. 



Robert Findley, Sterling.— We spent muoh time and work experimenting and 

 getting the farmers to take hold of the chinch-bug infection, this last summer. I 

 did not keep the names of all parties to whom I gave the bugs, and I did not get a 

 report from them all, but I am convinced that those who gave it a thorough test were 

 benefited by it. Some seasons the bugs do much damage to our broom-corn crop, 

 and we would like very much to have all the farmers take hold of it. This is the 

 largest market for dwarf broom corn in the United States, and we are very anxious 

 to sustain oar reputation for furnishing the best qualities of brush. We had much 

 very dry weather, which disoouraged some with the bugs; but we want to take up 

 the work earlier next year, and hope to do more good with it. 



W.N. Logan, Beloit.— l hereby present my report of the work of the Mitchell 

 county distributing station, for the three months commencing June 1 and ending 

 September 1, 1894. During the three months, about 500 boxes of diseased bugs 

 were distributed, six talks on chinch-bug diseases were given in different parts of 

 the county, and about 20 field tests were made. During the month of June, when 

 the weather was most favorable, nearly 90 per cent, of the results reported were fa.- 

 vorable. Commencing with the 3d of July, no rain fell for more than 60 days, and 

 by the 20th of July almost all field work had ceased. Our experiments would seem 

 to confirm the belief that the infection will not do the work during the dry, hot 

 weather. We also had very little success with the small red bugs, even in favorable 

 weather, because they would not leave the stalk upon which they were and so dis- 

 tribute the disease. 



Frank A. Lutz, Yorktown — The district through which I distributed infection 

 included principally the northwest and southeast parts of Lincoln and Mitchell 

 counties. The fore part of the season was damp, very favorable to the spreading 

 of the disease, and, as my report shows, the disease spread effectually. July 3 was 

 the last rainy day of the summer, in fact no rain fell after this date, and in con- 

 sequence the farther we proceed from this date the greater are the number of fail- 

 ures reported. Mr. Geo. W. Metzger, of this place, who has for three seasons been 

 successful in spreading the disease in his fields, reports that, in an isolated field in 

 which during the year 1893 the infection was planted and spread, the same lived 

 there daring the winter; and early in June, 1894, the bugs were noticed to sicken 

 and die. In the year 1893, Mr. Metzger had his field planted in corn, and in the fall 

 listed the same in wheat. Mr. A. A. Songer, Victor, Kas. (Mitchell county), reports 

 likewise a phenomenon of this kind. 



Iowa Agricultural College, Ames, Iowa.— Infected bugs were sent to 164 different 

 persons, and reports have been received from 58. Of the 58 reporting, 32 consid- 

 ered that the infection was a success, and 24 a failure, while 1 was too doubtful to 

 report either way, and 1 reported no use made of the material. Of the 32 report- 

 ing success, however, only 5 reported observation of a fungus growth on the bugs, 



