Second Annual repobt. 



Observations and Experiments of 1892. 



I.- GENERAL NOTES AND RESULTS. 



The first chinch-bugs for infection were received April 20. These bugs 

 came from Texas. With these bugs the infection cases were started with the 

 "white fungus," Sporotrichum globiiliferum. This now makes the fourth win- 

 ter through which this infection has been carried in the laboratory. Near 

 the close of the summer of 1891, a considerable number of dead bugs, whose 

 bodies were filled with this fungus growth, were put away in secure boxes to 

 be used for the beginning of the following season's experiments. With the 

 first bugs sent in a healthy growth was soon obtained in the infection jars, and 

 as soon as the chinch-bugs began to be sent in considerable numbers from 

 various portions of the State the large infection boxes adopted last year were 

 again put into use. 



The method of infecting and distributing during this season has been the 

 same as that adopted in 1891. Large, shallow boxes, in which infected bugs 

 were put from the small infection jars used in beginning the work, were kept 

 ■stocked with li > bugs throughout the season. From these boxes a small 

 number of dead bugs covered with the fungus, dying bugs on the outsides of 

 whose bodies the fungus had not yet appeared, and active, apparently healthy 

 but presumably infected bugs, were sent in response to each request for in- 

 fection. 



During the season 3,500 requests for infected bugs were received, of which 

 number more than 3,000 were from Kansas farmers. In every case where the 

 application was accompanied by live bugs (a condition obviously necessary in 

 order that the infection boxes might be kept stocked ) infected bugs were re- 

 turned. Resulting from these 3,000 applications, reports were received re- 

 garding 1,732 field experiments. Of these 1,732 experimenters, 196 report a 

 failure to give the infected bugs a trial for various reasons ; the results for 120 

 cases were doubtful in the minds of the experimenters ; in 872 cases no suc- 

 cessful results were obtained; and in 1,044 cases infected bugs were believed 

 to have been used with successful results. Thus 67.9 per cent, of the experi- 

 ments regarding the outcome of which reports were received were successful, 

 24.3 per cent, were unsuccessful, and 7.8 per cent, were doubtful. In making 

 these percentages the " no trial " reports were of course excluded. 



Of these 1,044 successful reports, 383 include specific estimates of crops 

 saved by the experiments. The sum in cash value of these estimates is $39,- 

 481.15. If the average amount may be fairly applied to the remainder of the 

 1,044 Kansas experimenters, an aggregate saving of $107,615.52 may be esti- 



