34 THE WHITE-FUNGUS DISEASE IN KANSAS. 
Experiments in Mr. Metcalfs -field. — This field was located about 
4 miles north of town and was the worst infested place seen around 
Cherryvale. No plots were set out, but the infection of it was left 
in the hands of Mr. Metcalf himself, who scattered the fungus gen- 
erally over the field. On May 2 a large package of fungus culture 
was shipped, with instructions as to mixing with soil and distributing 
through his field. On May 13 a second lot was sent, and a third 
shipment was made May 22. 
On May 26 a visit was made to the field. Up to this time there 
had been two artificial distributions of the fungus culture, and also 
several of diseased chinch bugs taken from an infection box. Living 
bugs were exceedingly numerous, and the conditions for their destruc- 
tion by Sporotrichum were to all appearances ideal, as rainfall, a 
moisture-retaining soil, and high humidity for much of the time 
conspired to render the spread of the fungus easy. An outbreak of 
Sporotrichum occurred early in May, and by May 26 had succeeded 
in killing many thousands of chinch bugs, so that they were plainly 
in evidence on the ground all over the field, yet so numerous were 
the living ones that the dead ones were at any time only a small per- 
centage. Had not the check fields been watched, the outbreak might 
have been attributed directly to an artificial infection. In fact, it 
seemed to Mr. Metcalf^ at least at first, that the fungus he had sown 
was quite successful, especially as he had put it out before any appear- 
ance of diseased bugs was manifest. But sjDontaneous outbreaks 
occurred in all the fields examined around Cherryvale at about the 
same time, and no difference was noticed as to whether a field had 
been artificially infected or not. One can readily see how a farmer, 
observing the state of affairs merely on his own place, would be con- 
vinced of the success of his artificial infection and would send in his 
report accordingly. 
So plausible was the evidence to Mr. Metcalf that it was only 
with difficulty that he was convinced after visiting a check field 
owned by Mr. Steinburger and located 1J miles distant. The Stein- 
burger field was nearly as badly infested as was Mr. Metcalfs, and 
the diseased bugs appeared more numerous than on his own, though 
no artificial infection had been used. 
On this date (May 26) the Metcalf field was artificially infected 
by fungus culture for the third time. The amount of fungus added to 
the field was, of course, a small proportion of that found naturally on 
the thousands of dead bugs scattered through it. On June 23, about 
harvest time, the field was again visited. Conditions were found to 
be about the same as on the previous visit. Two check fields other 
than Mr. Steinburger's, lying about 2 miles distant, were used for 
comparison. Both had numerous living bugs and as extensive spon- 
taneous outbreaks of Sporotrichum as any field around Cherryvale. 
