139 
the chinch-bug hosts passed successively after each harvest, thus 
keeping them somewhat concentrated; (2) the appearance of the 
fungus disease on chinch-bugs along a dead furrow running north 
and south through c, at a time when the destruction to corn was 
about complete, and when myriads of insects were passing this 
point, going into sorghum, E; (3) the concentration of the bugs 
on this narrow strip of sorghum—practically accumulating the 
chinch-bugs of thirty-five acres on these nine rows; (4) the strip¬ 
ping and cutting of this sorghum at a time when the insects were 
most numerous, which knocked them to the ground in great masses, 
where they remained under and among the leaves for several days; 
(5) the occurrence of a heavy rain September 12, followed by a 
high temperature, and another heavy rain September 16; and (6) 
the close pr '>ximity of the meadows F and G, into which the bugs 
passed, and where they remained on the damp ground under the 
grass. 
It thus seems quite probable that this fungous outbreak had 
little or no connection with the infection material distributed dur¬ 
ing the early part of the season, but that it was simply a local 
development, under exceptionally favorable conditions, of the dif¬ 
fuse general spread of chinch-bug disease throughout this whole 
country at this time. 
The three following (Nos. 78-80) are successive farmers’ experi¬ 
ments conducted in the counties of Cumberland, Bond, and Clay. 
Individual reports on these farmers’ experiments were not called 
for, and the report here given for 78 and 79 is based upon a sin¬ 
gle visit made by Mr. Johnson early in October. No. 80 was vis¬ 
ited twice. 
No. 78. A farmer’s experiment, the original material for which 
was derived from our experiment No. 54. It w T as sent from this 
office June 25 to Mr. Thomas B. Wilson, Sr., Greenup, Cumber¬ 
land county, and used by him to start a contagion b:>x, according 
to our circular of directions (see p. 92). This box was kept in 
operation until late in July, live bugs and fresh food being intro¬ 
duced every other day, and the fungus-covered insects removed 
each time the box was opened. Several hundred such specimens 
were distributed during the first two weeks of July at the bases 
of the stalks and behind the leaves of corn along one side of a 
field adjoining wheat, in places where the chinch-bugs were most 
abundant. The ground was very dry, and the experiment was a 
failure, no trace of the fungus appearing so far as could be ascer¬ 
tained by weekly examinations kept up until late in September. 
These fields were examined by Mr. Johnson October 9, but no 
trace of insect disease could then be found, although adults and 
pupae of the chinch-bug were still abundant in the corn. The first 
fifteen rows adjoining the wheat had been completely destroyed, 
only here and there a stalk standing erect. On this same visit 
several bugs imbedded in Sporotrichum were taken from corn 
shocks about two miles from town in another direction. 
No. 79. A farmer’s experiment, conducted by Mr. W. E. Jack- 
son, of Greenville, Bond county, with material from No. 54. 
