282 



by mail apparently produced, no results. A part of tLem were retained in the infec- 

 tion jar (quart Mason fruit jar); one-half pint of bugs were collected from the field, 3 

 days later a foul stench was found to emanate from the jar, and a part of the bugs in 

 it were dead. Only July 3, I took advantage of the cool, damp evening and took a 

 few buckets of cold water and sprinkled the edge of the millet and distributed more 

 infected bugs. On the 6th I found millions of dead bugs. I think the night and 

 sprinkling the millet caused the disease to spread — tee have had no rain in this neigh- 

 borhood since June 17, if I remember correctly. The depredations of chinch bugs 

 are always more serious in dry, hot weather. Have not had my mail since writing 

 you from Humboldt the 5th. 



You have conferred a lasting benefit on the farming interests of the United States 

 the value of which can not be estimated in dollars and cents. It was estimated that 

 during one of the visitation years of this insect the damage in the Mississippi Val- 

 ley amounted to $10,000,000. I have no doubt that by a proper manipulation of the 

 contagious disease in the hands of intelligent persons it will prove an eliective rem- 

 edy. I think the contagion should be introduced among them early to prevent the 

 migration of the young brood. In my case I received it too late. Early sown millet 

 presents a favorable place to infect the bugs, as they seem to collect in the shade and 

 die. Hoping that when the next legislature meets an appreciating public will suita- 

 bly reward you for your beneficent discovery, 



I am, gratefully, yours, 



J. W. G. McCORMICK. 



The field experiments were apparently equally successful in the 

 months of July, August, and September. 



The following August field report is inserted as a fair sample of the 

 manner iu which the farmers themselves regard these experiments : 



Florence, Kansas, November 1, 1890. 

 Prof. F. H. Snow : 



Dear Sir: On the 20th of August (I think it was) I wrote to you to send me some 

 infected chinch bugs, and on the 30th of the same month you sent me a small lot of 

 infected bugs (I suppose about thirty in all). I then put with these about twenty 

 times as many healthy ones, and kept them 48 hours, and then deposited them in and 

 through my field. (I have about 55 acres under cultivation. ) At the time I wrote for 

 bugs my place was all iu corn and a very large crop of chinch bugs. I am safe in 

 saying that there were more bugs on my farm than any two with the same amount 

 of land under cultivation. At the time of sending to you for bugs I told two of my 

 neighbors of my intention, and they laughed at the idea ; nevertheless I sent. When 

 I put them in my field it had rained fully a half day, and after noon I commenced 

 to place them about in different places in my field. I noticed no change in the bugs 

 for three days, it being cold ; and on the fourth and fifth days the weather was more 

 warm, and it was then that the destruction of the enemy commenced, with great 

 satisfaction to myself and great surprise to my laughing neighbors. One of my 

 neighbors, Mr. George Winchester, said that there ought to be a subscription raised 

 and donated to me. I told him not to me but to you the praise belonged. 



I think that it took about 8 days after the five from the time that I placed them in 

 my field before they were all destroyed. The fifth day after I put out the diseased 

 bugs I noticed that a great many bugs were flying away from my place. I can not 

 say if the disease spread in this way or not, or if it spread at all. Three or four per- 

 sons said that tiiey would come and procure of me some of the dead bugs, but no 

 one came. 



This much I can say, with me this experiment has been a complete success. It has 

 done me a great deal of good. I can not give it a money value, but am satisfied that 

 had it not been for the infected bugs obtained of you I would have lost 27 acres 

 of wheat and 8 acres of rye, and when I wrote to you for bugs I then contemplated 



