Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-13

Mr.. Grasshopper, save that q white rather
than mouse-coaored crust covers his body
ly contagious among his kind. The seed
with which the pestilence Is sown Is pre-
pared in this manner:
A bottle of raw cornmeal, mixed with beef
broth is sprinkled with the white particles
OF the moldy growth previously separated
from the dried insects dying OF the scourge.
The mold rapidly multiplies after taking
root In. the new media and soon contami-
mates the contents of the bottle. Live and
healthy chinch bugs caught in the wheat
and corn fields, are confined in 'contagion
boxes wherein quantities of the infected
mixture of broth and batter have been left
exposed. The Insects thus brought in con-
tact with the pestience saturate their sys-
TENS with It. They are then liberated in the
fields where originally found.
Minglng with their healthy kinsmen they
effect just such widesweeping pestilence as
noted In the above case Of the grasshopper.
Death ensueS a few days after exposure to
the disease. After death the white mold
increases In numerous spores. The mold is
then collected, placed back in the cold broth
and batter and left to multiply.
The Distributing Center.
Uncle Sans agricultural experiment sta
tlon at Urbana, ILL.,, Is being utilized as a
distributing center for chinch bugs thus
artiffcially infected. This institution has
been corresponding with farmers in various
parts OF the country requesting them to box
up and ship by express as many of the live
insects as they can collect. After exposure
TO the diseaSe-iaden broth and batter at the
experiment station the contaminated bugs
are shipped back to the farmers. The lat
ter are instructed to keep the bugs con-
fined until dead from the disease The
farmers then capture as many live insects
as can be caught and cOnfine them with the
carcasses of their relatives until they show
symptoms OF the disease. Then they are
let loose In the fields in time to create a
wholesale pestilence. Some farmers not
only distribute the live bugs thus, but scat
ter the dead ones left in their contagion
p e attaching them to vegetable growths
threatened. Other farmers have applied
tne oroth and batter mixture directly to
plants preyed upon by large colonies of the
ravenous insects.
Caterpillars, seyenteen-year 1ocusts ,,d
various other insect pests have been ey-
perlmented with, the object being to deter
mine some infectious disease capable of
thelr eradication. But in these cases diff
Guilty Is as yet met.
Studying Diseases.
insect diseases are little understood Man
was ignorant of the ailments of domesti-
cated animals until comparatively recen.
times. Now the government annually
SPENDS thousands of dollars a year for
studying diseases of such beasts Such
studies were originally devised by man
with the direct motive of self-protection
against poisonous bacilH and parasites
Doubtless In the future wise governments
VIII be instituting laboratories for research
In diseases Of the insect kingdom with the
selfish motive Of sowing seeds Of such dis
eases among ill-behaved bugs. And per-
haps in those progressive days there will
have sprung up NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. societies
for the protection OF such unfortunate in
sects or for the dictation of the mode Of
slaughter to be melted out to them.
Insects no doubt suffer from as many
characteristic disorders as do men and
beasts. 1t must be a terrible ordeal for
one Of the many three-stomached species
of bugs to suffer indigestion pains in all Of
his dinner receptacles at once. And imag-
Inc what a poor butterfly would, suffer If
all of his $4,000 eyes were sore and running
as result of hay fever. Then pity the
centipede attacked with rheumatic" in all
of his legs. And think of the ravages Of a
hereditary disease which might be be-
queathed by our persistent friend the
housefy to the TAG, 496 offsprings which she
produces in the three months of summer.
A fortune OF uncountable millions is GER
tainly in store for the practical bacteriolo-
gist who can successfully concoct and pat
ent brand Of deadly mosquito smallpox,
housefy plague, caterpillar yellow fever.
cockroach diphtheria or some pestiential
means Of erasing any Of the famous insect
names now upon the black list of the far
mer and housekeeper. And perhaps science
will some day brew malignant diseases
fatal to such larger pests as rats, mice and
snakes. JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS, Jr.