96 



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 niy farm than on any two farms 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. On the fourth and fifth days the weather was more warm, and it 

 was then that the destruction of the enemy commenced with great satistaction to myself and great surprise 

 to mylaughing neighbors. One of my neighbors, Mr. (leorge Winchester, said that there ought to be a sub- 

 scription raised and donated to me. I told him not to me but to you the praise belonged. I thmk that 

 it took about eight days after the five from the time that I placed them iu 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 cannot say if the disease spread in this way or not, or if it spread at all. Three 

 or four persons said they would come atiu i^rocure of me some of the dead bugs, but no one came. This 

 much I can say, with, me this experiment lius been a complete success. It has done me a great deal of good. 

 I cannot give it a money value, but am satisfied that had it not been for the infected bugs obtained of you 

 that I would have lost twenty-seven acres of wheat and eight acres of rye, and when I wrote to y..u for 

 bugs I then contemplated putting out considerable wheat, and I was at that time considerably tr. ubled 

 about the bugs in my corn, thinking that if I put out any wheat at all it would be destroyed by bugs ; but 

 thanks to you my wheat is now safe from bugs, at least those that were on my place before sowij.g my 

 wheat. I only wish that I had written to you sooner than this. I will send hy express one bottle of 

 bugs that I gathered after they commenced to die. Respectfully yours, John Knoble. 



The following report from R. L. Stangaard is inserted as being of a more 

 scientifically circumstantial character than most of the other reports : 



Florence, Kan., Aug. 22nd, 1890. 

 Dear Sib.— In reply to your favor of July 27th, I would say that infected bugs were applied, after 

 they were kept with live ones about forty-two hours. Most of the bugs mixed were dead when taken out 

 of the box. They were applied in seven different hills, being put into every ninth hill. I marked every 

 hill with a number so as to be better able to watch the progress. Examined after forty-eight hours ap- 

 plication with the following results : — No. 1, mostly dead. No. 2, bugs mostly alive, seemingly very rest- 

 less. No. 3, bugs seem to be sick. No. 4 bugs mostly dead. On hills around this one bugs seem to be 

 restless. No. 5, not examined. On hills around it the bugs seem to be sick. Examination eight days 

 after application with the following results :— No. 3, bugs seemingly in a dying condition. On the hills 

 around it the bugs seem to be well with exception of one hill where they seem to be dying and some dead. 

 No. 1, not a live bug in the hill. No. 5, apparently dying, also dying iu the hills around this. No. 6, bugs 

 dying in hill. No. 7, apparently not dying. Qn August 16th, twelve days after application, I found the 

 bugs to be dying and dead all through the field— twelve acres. On August 20th, I again found the bugs 

 to be dying rapidly. A field being forty rods distant had sure marks of bugs in a dying condition. What I 

 mean by bugs being in a dying condition is this : they lay on their backs, almost motionless, and others 

 lay in same position, moving limbs violently. This remedy was applied on A. G. Rosiere's farm on Bruno 

 creek, Marion Co., Kansas, being nine miles east and three miles south of Marion. Thanking you for your 

 avors, I remain, yours truly, K. L. Stangaaed. 



The laboratory experiments have been continued through the season. Of 

 the three diseases identified, that produced by the Trichoderma appears to be 

 less fatal than the other two, as is indicated by the following laboratory notes : 



September 28th, dead chinch-bugs showing no signs of fungus externally were taken from the in- 

 fection jars and crushed on a glass slide in distilled water. Oval hyphal bodies of a fungus (Trichoderma) 

 were found in considerable number. These were put under a bell jar. 



September 29th, some of the hyphal bodies had put out slender mycelial growths ; others in im- 

 mense numbers were multiplying by division. 



October 1st, the hyphal bodies were still multiplying by division. The mycelial growths had become 

 much longer and in some instances had variously branched. 



October 3rd, a dead chinch-bug taken from an infected field was crushed on a glass slide in distilled 

 water. Both round and oval hyphal bodies were found in considerable numbers. The sewere put under a 

 bell jar to prevent dying. 



October 4tb, both round and oval hyphal bodies were multiplying by division and were putting out 

 mycelial growths. 



October 5th, fresh chinch-bugs from an uninfected field were immersed in the liquid containing the 

 above fungi and were put in a new jar with young corn plants. 



October 16th, many of the bugs were dead ; the others apparently lively. The dead bugs were found 

 to contain hyphal bodies similar to those with which they were infected. A live chinch-bug from the same 

 jar was crushed and found to contain round hyphal bodies; but these refused to germinate. 



November 5th, not all of the bugs are yet dead. The few remaining are apparently lively. 



The following is a summary of the results of the field experiments in the 

 season of 1890 : 



Number of boxes of diseased bugs sent out, 38. Seven of these lots were 

 either not received, or received and not used. Reports were received from 2G of 



