Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-09-06
KANSAS HAPPENINGS
LATE ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM
ALL PARTS OF THE SUM-
FLOWER STATE
CHInCH BUG KILLER FOUND
An Expert at the State Agricultural
College Has Discovered a Para
site Which Destroys the
Eggs of the Pest.

A bug expert at the Kansas Agri-
cultural College has discovered what
entomologists long have sought-an
insect which destroys chinch bugs
rms insect destroys chinch bug eggs
py laying its own eggs inside those
OF the chinch bug.
The parasite has been found in ev-
cry wheat and corn field examined
near Manhattan. OF 3O,1O1 chinch bug
eggs collected between April % and
June 10, 81 per cent were DESTROYED
by the parasite. Of 116 eggs collect
ed at Crawford 16 per cent were para
sitiZed
1t is believed at the agricultural
college that this is the first parasite
or chinch bugs ever discovered.
James w. McCoIloch, assistant entom-
ologist, who found the new insect.
sent specimens to the United States
Department of Agriculture for iden-
LITIGATION. Reporting after an incom-
plete examination of the chinch bug
destroyer, one of the experts in that
department believes that the new in
sect represents not only new
species, but also a new genus.
Two hundred and seventy-five of
the new parasites have been bred out
at the college. The length of the life
cycle has been found to vary from
ten to eighteen days, depending upon
climatic conditions.
The college entomologists will con-
tinue investigations of the parasite
and will determine how widely it is
distributed in Kansas. If it proves
to be present only in certain regions,
and if continued experimentation
Oh fhof &c 0fEn
er, artificial distribution throughout
the state will be undertaken by the
agricultural college.
The new parasite is particularly
promising, G. A. Dean, state .entom-
ologist at the agricultural college,
says, because of the high percentage
of parasitism- in the eggs already in
vestigated. An insect which destroys
20 per cent of it's host is very eff
Gent. Under wider distribution it
is likely that these parasites will de-
stroy larger per cent of chinch
bugs, Professor Dean says.
Seed Wheat Is Not Scarce.
From the reports SO far received,
W. p. FEEDER, secretary of the Kansas
public utilities commission, believes
that not more than ten or twelve
counties in the Sixth and Seventh dis
tricts will want the railroads to haul
seed wheat to some of their farm
ers free of freight charges.
Some time ago Mr.. FEEDER sent let
tiers to all county clerks in those two
districts to ascertain what number,
if any, of the farmers would like to
have seed wheat hauled to them by
the railroads without transportation
charges. The commission prepared a
certificate to be furnished to farmers
through their county commissioners,
upon which free transportation of seed
wheat can be had.
To date thirteen county clerks have
answered the query and only four of
that number stated that they had
some farmers who wished to avail
themselves of the offer to haul the
wheat in free of freight charge, and
the number of certificates asked for
by these counties is not large. The
four counties so far desiring to avail
themselves of the free freight offer
are Hodgeman, which wants 100 GER
tificates; Pawnee, 800; Cove, 400 to
500, and Ness, %.
Reports from seven counties just
heard from are as follows, summar-
lied:
Barber-Go0d wheat crop this year.
Wheat is being shipped out of the
county, and none need be shipped in
for seed.
Hodgemnn-B very small
amount of wheat in the county. Send
100 certificates.
Comanche-will need no seed wheat
this year
Lincoln-Win not need any seed
wheat.
Rooks-Have plenty of seed wheat
and don't need any shipped in
Greeley-Enough wheat was raised
in the county to supply the demand
Will not need any seed wheat.
Ness-Want twenty-five certificates
Object to "Purer Shoes Law.
The Kansas Shoe Retailers associ
alton, in convention at Wichita, is
making plans to have the Pure Shoe
law passed by the Kansas legislature
last winter declared unconstitutional
The law becomes effective in April