The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-06-29
PROF. LUGGER'S VISIT.
An Infection Box Started at r. ID
Hubbard's MiII-Plenty of
Bugs Brought In.
Prof. Lugger Explains What Must be
Done i'm Order to Rid the Grain
Fields of Chinch Bugs.
From Fridays Daily.

| Prof. Otto Lugger, state entomOlo-
gist, arrived in the city last evening
from Rochester, and stopped at The
Saulpaugh. He brought with him
large box having the appearance of a
coffin, which was left at the depot I'M
til this morning, and which is known as
an infection box. In this box will be
propagated the disease which it is
hoped will sweep through the ranks
of the chinch bugs like plague.
Bright and early this morning Prof.
Lugger walked up to the FREE PRESS
office and delighted the staff with
some chinch bug "reminiscences and
gave them much information con-
corning the disease from which so
much is,hoped in this county at the
present time. Before he had been in
the office many minutes farmers be-
gan to come in with tin boxes and
glass jars containing live chinch bugs,
and it was but short time before the
office was filed with them. Telephone
inquiries began to come in at the
same time from stores where the far
mers had arrived with more bugs. 1t
was clearly demonstrated that the
farmers are aroused up over the out
look, and fully appreciate the value of
an attempt to rid their fields Of the
swarms of young bugs that have just
Matched out. The same story came
from all directions where the soil is
inclined to be at all sandy, that the
ground is alive with the little in
fects, and that either they must be
destroyed or the crops will be.
Geo. M. Palmer volunteered to take
charge of the infection box at the big
mill, and the party went down there
for that purpose. The box was
| brought TO the mill and fitted up, and
it was not long before the bugs were
released into its dark and damp
interior to become weaker in vitality
and predisposed to take disease. By
Monday these bugs will have become
diseased and some will be dead, and
they will then be in condition to be
spread upon the affected fields. Prof.
Lugger goes to New Ulm to
tonight look after an infection
box which he has started
there, and will return on the first
train Monday morning, when he will
meet the farmers and give them
supply of infected bugs.
The infection box will be maintain
ed at the big mill as long as there is
any need of the disease, and new bugs
will be received at any time and dis
eaSed bugs given out. The farmers
should bring in bugs next week to re-
plenish the stock. 1t requires but
two days to infect the bugs. Every
farmer bringing in bugs will be given
a receipt, which will entitle him to
receive some diseased bugs. Fifteen
or twenty diseased bugs scattered
about an acre of ground will infect the
bugs there if the weather conditions
are favorable. What is needed is
dampness and heat. Prof. 'Lugger
states that the present weather is eX-
cellent for spreading the disease, and
that if one or two more showers fall,
the conditions will be highly satisfac
tory next week.
A question frequently asked by the
farmers who came in today was how
could they best catch the living bugs.
They had found that it was no easy
matter to do so, as the lively little
insects had scampered down into the
soil when their localities had been
disturbed. Prof. Lugger states that
the best way to catch them is to
take spoon and depress it into the
soil SO that the bugs will run into
it and can not get out. Then empty
the spoon into glass jar or bottle. 1t
is desirable that there be no dirt
taken with the bugs, as soil is disin-
fectant and destroys many of the
spores that ought to lodge on the
bugs. Some wheat leaves should be
put into the bottles or cans for the
bugs to feed upon, but no air holes
are necessary.
No farmer will be given diseased
bugs who does not bring in some live
ones, as the infection box does not
produce bugs. Some of the farmers
who came in today suggested that the
county commissioners ought to give a
bounty for the bugs, in order to induce
the capture of large numbers, so that
all farmers could be supplied with in
fected bugs. They stated that many
lsections were not represented today
land the bugs will work there without
'hindrance.