The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-25

at pECoCae SAoa
cellor of the University of Kansas, located
at Lawrence. Chancellor Snow bas been
at the head Of this educational ihkltutlon
but a short time, having taken his position
last July, but he has been connected with
the university since its beginning, in 1866.
He was first elected professor OF natural
science and mathematics. and at the time
of his selection as chancellor held the chair
of natural history. He is still professor OF
botany and entomology, though all work
in instruction is turned over to assistants.
Professor Snow is 81 years old, having
been born in Fischburg. Mass, on June %,
1910. He comes of sturdy New England
stock, and received his collegiate training
at Williams and at Andover Theological
seminary. He expected to take up the
ministry, but after some little experience
as a teacher in Massachusetts he became a
member of the first faculty OF the Kansas
State university. He was married at An
dover in 1853 to Miss Jennie A. Aiken. He
has five children, the oldest of whom, a
son, inherits his fathers taste for natural
history, and bids fair to become we'll
known entomologist.
To T ofessor Shows tireless exertions
and intelligent direction the building up OF
the large natural history collections be-
longing to the university of Kansas is due.
He has gathered together in his cabinets
over 10000 species of insects. represented
by much larger number of specimens.
and amongwhich are 200 species discovered
by himself A dozen varieties have been
named in his honor. He has also found
time to publish large number of scientific
articles, including cat. logues Of birds and
insects which are authoritative for the
times and localities covered by them.
The work, however, which has given him
greatest prominence of late is his expert
ments with a view to the determination of
the chinch bug, the worst insect pest of the
western farmer. His labors have proven,
so far, highly successful His methods and
results may be summarized as follows: In
June 1889, Kansas farmer noticed that
large numbers of chinch bugs were dying
in corn field, and that the dead insects
were covered with a white fungus. Speci-
mems were sent to Professor Snow, who
decided that the fungus belonged to the
genus entomopthora, comprising fungi
which are parasitic on insects and cause
their death. This fungus is reproduced by
innumerable minute spores given off into
the air and waited abroad by the slightest
breeze. By confining live, healthy chinch
bugs with fungus killed bugs, Professor
Snow was enabled to spread the contagion.
He formed plan of scattering fungus in
fected bugs in corn fields. and sent out in
the summer of 1889 fifty lots of diseased
bugs. The results were, in the main, high
ly favorable. Meanwhile the experiments
were continued in Professor Shows labora-
tories.
These experiments involved much work
which is wholly inexplicable to the un-
scientific reader. The infection was pro
pagated through the winter of 1SS9-s0 in
the laboratory, and the outdoor work was
resumed as soon as chinch bugs began to
appear in the fields. Twenty-six reports
were received from farmers. Nineteen
were favorable. four doubtful and three
unfavorable. In the course Of the labor
atory experiments it was discovered shat