FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 21 



given. The county papers also gave most valuable assistance by getting the mat- 

 ter folly before the people, and by occasionally publishing results. It is very ap 

 parent that the people of Dickinson county, regardless of occupation, are ready 

 and eager for anything of a beneficial nature, or to try any test which points 

 toward bettering the condition of the farmer. It was the business of the director 

 of the county station to direct all work, meet with and talk to the farmers, visit their 

 fields where personal supervision was necessary, keep an effective supply of infec- 

 tion on hand to distribute to individual callers, send out to the substation men, and 

 to put up a supply to be retained over winter for early spring use. Of course all 

 reports and observations fall naturally to his care. For five days the number of 

 callers who either wished dead bugs or information reached the average of 75 per- 

 sons a day. These were, as patiently as time and human nature would permit, shown 

 through the station. For the season, 493 individuals were supplied from Abilene 

 alone, and no name was counted twice. All together, a few more than 2,000 farmers 

 reoeived supplies from either the central station or one of the substations. The 

 bulk of the supplies were given out from June 10 to July 18; however, after the 

 18th of July the number of calls was perceptibly lessened. 



Concerning results, the agent can say that, everything considered, he is of the 

 firm opinion that his summer's work was a success — not entirely so, to be sure, but 

 to a large and profitable extent. The real per cent, of favorable and what would 

 have been favorable results was cut short by the extreme unfavorable conditions of 

 the season, which conditions also caused an almost entire failure of the corn and 

 oat crops. Hundreds of fields of Indian corn yielded on this account no return to 

 their tillers, while even the fodder was so injured before cutting that little nourish- 

 ment is to be obtained from this source of getting stock feed. During the reign of 

 these unfavorable conditions, beginning early in July and existing until late fall, 

 the ground became so hot and parched that no fungus whatever showed itself, while 

 the bugs sought shelter, disappearing at the same time in all fields, whether infected 

 or uninfected. The effect of the hot winds and extreme drought was to kill myriad 

 thousands of the pests. This i^ not given wholly upon my own observation, but 

 from the reports of many trustworthy and careful men who are interested in the 

 work. Tip to the 10th of July, as far as reports could be gotten, very nearly 80 per 

 cent, of the number reporting pronounced the results favorable. I say very nearly 

 80 per cent., from the fact that some few were in doubt. As far as I have been able 

 to learn, the majority of those making the test were pleased with their pains and 

 effort expended. Yet the one thing which a county agent must expect, and be pre- 

 pared for abo^O all things, is the anxiety of the experimenters whose crops are in 

 imminent danger, at which time the disease may not act with the rapidity and de- 

 structiveness he may hope for. Such individuals will, to a certainty, implore his 

 assistance, commendably urging him to do what he can for the farmer. Patience, 

 perseverance and assurance are the things in such instances to be summoned and 

 relied upon. Confidence must be inspired, and especially at this critical stage must 

 the station man be strong in his faith of the efficiency of the remedy he advocates' 

 all the while relying upon the more tardy reports for his season of gratification* 

 Beyond a question of a doubt, much of the results of a county station is dependent 

 upon the conduct and ability of him in charge. None but a competent and patient 

 person, and one who has the confidence of the farmers, should be employed in such 

 a capacity; preferably one who has an actual experience in tilling the soil and gath- 

 ering the crops, who is or has been one among the farmers, practical and observant, 

 of good judgment and patient disposition, should be placed in such positions. 



Another work taken up and carried on in connection with the attempted exter- 

 mination of the chinch bug was that of 'giving directions for the destruction of 



