New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-19
SPREADING BUG INFECTION
A KANSAS PROFESSOR DEVELOPS n,s,..
THAT KILL NOxIoUs INSECTS
From The st. Louis Globe Democrat,
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THAT KILL NOxIoUs INsEcrs
From The st. Louis Globe Democrat
| The business Of exchanging sick bues "a.
ones Is to be conducted on large scale thu ~
appropriation from the Legislature Il to + S Sin
insects, in which the latter are treated noyP =
purpose OF curing them Of anything. but 10 y
| ing the coming summer anybody who cSo:.. Dus
send a healthy. chinch bug to Professor Snov e
receive from him In return a diseased spec Sx sn
| the same species. Last season consignmsr,ss 4
sick insects were forwarded to 5000 farmers II
sas alone, and packages Of them were shlnn.SS ~
express to various localities In eight other Ss,S
The recipients scattered the bugs in their S. .S
| the object being to spread plague amons -
| chinch bugs that were damaging the crops ~
This is a new idea. The theory that some n a.
most Injurious insects may be kept In ch.SS -
spreading diseases among them artiaciaily Il h.,S
applied by practical experiments In Europe A ~
as in this country. Professor Shows work IN ,SH
direction has been attended with much success T.
over whole districts by his patent plague ms
disease breeding hospital Is on plans Of his own, IL
jars together with few healthy bugs ' The i nsss
large shallow boxes In these boxes the hesi,ss
bugs put as fast as they are received and From
rs for to oe Who OF wsn ~
To maintain the supply, Professor Snow require
eey 2ep1T o ea aIr bugs M
specimens forwarded from the infrmary are to IN
outward appearance well and happy but they han
been exposed to Infection, and the deadly germs a.
already beginning TO multiply inside Of their bodis
After bit they will sicken and die. the corpse y
each one being enveoped in a shroud Of white mounS
DID you dead fly attached to windoS
pane by network of whitsh gossamer flamena,
It is a case exactly similar; the fly has died o.
ehineh bugs by Professor 81, snow Is fungus. IL
eventually envelops the victim.
Last autumn Professor Snow carefully preserved
buv hos yyil Infection ate aI
starting the work Of the coming season. They MI
be placed in the small glass jars win the first live
on to the large shallow boxes. and business Vii
proceed in the manner already described The d.
fungus which has killed them, the latter eains
them. up literally. When a few sick and dyiii
spread the plague rapidly under favorable conI
tons This is accomplished to some extent by con
distribution OF the minute spores of the fungus D.
wind These spores correspond TO the seeds q
higher plants.
as "sporo-trchum globullferum." II attacks the
chinch bugs occasionally under natural conditions
In fact. II would hardly be practicable to any
grain crops over large part of this country i {.
were not for the epdenics which attack the chinci
bugs from time to time. almost annihlating the
species. There was such plague among them n
the year 1865, when the ravages OF their destroying
armies were suddenly stopped by death so IN
sparing that for some seasons afterward the DE-
scendants OF he few survivors were not numerous
enough to do any material damage; such an event
elapses before the animals again become serious
pest. In 1871 chinch bugs DESTROYED $40 10000 worth
OF grains in seven States: In 1874 they devoured H.
100000 worth of wheat, corn ana oats In Missouri
alone. the total loss in seven States being at Ieas
The utmost importance attaches 10 Profe@1
Shows work inasmuch as the chinch bug const.
In point Of destructveness It is not approached By
any other insect-not even by the grasshopper
from hs to
parently II is not an imported pest. but was origin:
ally native OF the eastern part OF me Lnia
wild grasses and the unlimited food supply onersd
by the cultivation OF wheat and other grains enables
IT 10 multiply enormously. 1t lays It's eggs on ne
roots OF the infested plants and the young gluos
soon as they are hatchcd insert tne'r beaks mo
The farmer Is almost helpless against the insect.
which. in a bad season are so numerous that n
is sra 6'S OK Th has been much
interested in experiments OF this kind WINE sso
1t sent couple OF experts to the south i% I'm, ne
green caterpillar which does great deal o. Gam a.S
age in that part Of the country This insect Es.
literally eats IL up. transforming Its fsshy sub
stance into so much decomposed matter 50 SssnS
do the fatal germs do their work that the veun
dead usually within twenty-four hours after w
first inoculated 1t turns gradually IRON S ons"
green 10 brown. and finally TO black-a ioatnSns
corpse AS n rule. the bacteria begin by attaeny
the third segment OF the animal from ,ne ~
sorhed nv the morbid process that nothing is leg
n save a grease spot. Specimens forwaraea y
WASHINGTON IN wooden pm oT nSy,huo leayns cny
!, small stain 10 show that once there was ca'e'
pillar. ,, =, .,o,. h.s
terra in beef tea, thus obtaining them by mylsals
II was imagined that such solutions hlled Wit ~
se,producinG nsn o as to- spread he
complaint Any caterpillar venturing 10 h, , .,,
leaf stained with the solution MSud bd nsy, IN AZ
the diving insect would be apt to commmneaIe ~
liy he
experiments with It have not been successiu. ~ "a
date 1t Is the same way with enor,s ma" in.,cis
Europe TO spread diseases among injurious in ~ 49,
81 various species They have done very wen ~ .,.S
laboratory but they do not work We'll III ps,,.,
witch does a great deal OF damage to foresu y
Germany and France. 1t Is nearly re'a'ea
II was thought that IL the experiment WIZ ,. ,ss
cabbage worm was successfu, we ns sae which h
be 20 20 the re' cotton This animal
Ia exciting a good deal 81 alarm nus, a, pn,osnt
much in fact that the United sta,es cns ~ ~ a.
slstan,s DR. Schwarz. have made vs,t ,s g LIE F
iurnr the last month for the purpose OF $40 II cot
In the last half dozen the cutivauossv s Of
ton has been abandoned in extensive d XII plant
Northern Mexico where the growing ,,,,, o. Tniusy
solely on accoun, OF the ravagss OF the sVwwS.
II Is spreading norhward into Texas ana ,aa rim
leved that the only wav 10 prevent the rsst uart
OF cotton culture in that State and over s s row.
az the South Is to make law prohibiting NV shIeh
shs Of thus as barrier s v
Of the enemy The greatest trouble with ,a ~ cot
Is that It makes Its home inside the boil oss.,sdes
ton so that II cannot be assailed with issi Of
The common white grub. which does goou rscalsf
damage to agriculture Is attacked o oyy,nsai into
veretahle and causes the insect TO serve ~, M dIs.
pose OF root 1t has been suggested tna rrnlaint
similar to that which affects species o. ~ moth
in China The latter is the larva Of kna r,n the
and at the beginning OF winter II burrows nj ~ ths
earth There Il Is apt 20 find the spores !. into
fungus which assa H. and soon transform u Im,
vegetable tissue From Its head springs Ground
like any mushroom. The fructifying top o. gar Ar
mushroom scaters its spores around UNDER sr ICED
let-fowered myrtles which the caterpilssy az
Thus trouble Is prepared for the next enec.
caterpillars Here n found the remarkao'r, ann.
tacle OF living organisms which insects ~ ,hssa
mer and plants In winter. The Chinese gatho '>"
curious fungi and use them for medicine