Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-01-14
AGEefCULsYgAE.
From he Baltimore Farmer
ON THE HESSIAN FLY.
C~AMpRrpoE, b. s.. NIoryI,nJ d., ~ 100,

Il. -, NlArNidilI. Dec. Is. 1S3l
.W' Sn,ih;-l cannot withhold my surprise and rcrret
"he apathy OF the agricultural community, on that inter.
enng orancn OF entomology, which comprises the history,
.narac'er anu haDitudeso OF such insects, az are peculiar 10
ue staple crops oil our country; among which stands con-
spieuous the " Hession Hy," known only as a deadly foe
" me energies OF man; annually multiplying upon us.
ana acspoIlng VS. OF the fruits of our labours.
Having before had the indulgence of a column of YOUR
useiui paper, 10 impiorc the cooperation of fellow -laLour.
crs, and ieliow-sularcrs, in the investigation of This sub.
lcct, L take the liberty TO offer a few more remarks. in IN.
hope, that yet may not be disappointed in NV mrnos
l nSr long Deen anxious 10 see this implacable enemy.
ue " tieSSian ny" in a state OF maturity; and in all nv
reduent attempts to crafty my curiosity heretofore frus-
uapeu' unui recently, | obtained a plentiful supplv.
Inc loose scattered wheat of my stack yard had vere-
ua'eu early IN The season, perhaps in July, and grew luXu-
,Snuyi OF inc ist OF September, my attentiCa was at
tracted by its rapid decline on examination. I discovercd
mat almost every stalk was loaded with the crysalids of
Ioct;nSS ~, i Jug up a small sod without any regard to Sc
;ecuon' anu planted it in a flower pot, under a large glass
jar, ana placed 1t on my mantel- piece, where it might have
onann"t anu warm temperature, to assist in their devel-
= pIneen'' ma week or two, they appeared in their parcn-
al robes, crowding upon the few spires, which had snr-
VsVed their ravages; here | have commanded a full view
the result. e"'yo"
ihey belong to the order Hcndptera, genus Aphis; thew
i Ir nv mul larger than a flea, and of much the same CO.
-. au appearance, except that the abdomen is more OH
fuse and Hat, and ends in two horns; the tborox is sbor,
anu nc mead IN addition to two long antenne, armed with
a small, very sharp, infected rostrGm; they are ohv;o,si"
not constructed for a long flight. ""'
,os;, on ~ ai.Sr meir appearance, they commenced to de-
ISL oh uc oiaues ana stalks of wheat their Young pror..
n.y. mere speck, and with an excellent Inicrosrono 7
confess L have not been able to satisfy myself. wbe,ber
,y nv NiNiIdTOus Or OVlparOuS; and il is very ir,,ro,o
Id 10 any useful purpose, for they were elected n n, -
an egg, inclosed in a thin membrane, which. nnlcr h IN
,hn = !, OIL the warm temperature of the room, developeJ
IN living animal i'm n few hours: this first deposit oJI,nnos
closely 10 the blade or stalk, as if Glued IN Tho noin, on -
mmcn ~ was made, and does not roll down az has been
stated, but shortly casting off its almost invisible c,so,oat
inc iarve crawlcd down TO the nearest Joints of Tho No.
where I'M rostea are inserted. and their nourisbncut oh
tanned; they pass through three Observation-Disclosures ~ s. oyI
poSrcssloh, under a suitable Temperatures; would sin.
pose from the swarms produced. from So small - 60 Up
the short term have named. ''""0" within
Inc propagation of every variety or ui. FIJI,
"p|ugs, Is IhGaicuiably immense and indeed mysteri-
Jus II was hrsI L believe, asserted by Bonnet. and s;O n
confirmed by Tremblcy, and others bevond ~ ~ ' n
ne impregnation OF one set of females of his CorIJv so um'
once i'll that term. ""S "o HiaIcS Dut
from the foregoing statement of facts it NAV he ration
lms Lmierred-ist' That this insect, the "Hessian dv -
largely sustalns itself, through the slovenIv and rrnr.h h9n
tioie practice of leaving the loose scattered HbcoPt or en-
stacN yard TO yegetate, and serve them for their niIi6ro'
uoh' by which myriads of legions NAV be ro;soJ 81
rev perches OF ground; I'd. That this medium If eU.to
nation Is the great secret, by which this mvsterio,s onI
wbnn' insect has been multiplied throughout our
odly. That the practice of following on wheat s,ubh,o
y "nIch much scattered wheat will vegetate in f,vorabIe'
oI'sohS ana serve the purposes of the CIV" bcf,re if ~
PIoughed down again for the new crop, is another rroiifs
source of this evil. " ""o'"eT PFo"hc
9uhiy. And consequently, that to clean the stack yard
INC othrr places, where loose wheat NAV have hon 49,
ereu ana Vegetated, and TO refrain from the cuniditv oIo
a cron Of Up JhuipaGle, OF ALLOWING upon wheat sIubble, for
aeiVP oi wheat Is the absolutely moral duty of evsrv ar-
flcultunst, who is capable of consciousness of dn,v - ii
!" nnhhseH, or ms nelghbOr.
In a former paper | have noticed md
confident, laudable but fllacious on,onJa,a =. inc
Sdildud correspondent, "to soak seed wealth. b,ino e., a.
OF the egg of this fly which he erroncorsi,
e"PPo'eI 10 De ON the grain. / must now take the libcrtyy
10 remark ola communication on the subject Ctbo III
ny IN The Hagerstown Free Press. G,om Mr. Nix
pir lche &c is entitled to the thanks of the command
y "r us contribution TO this interesting question but !
lions. III III oDscrVa-
lie Is correct when he ahfrms that the ccr or ,Iis a.
ccived ~ - i III a PANT and not ON the grain; but he is de-
~ ~ ~ "a M observations when he says he "selected n few
INS Vi wheat IN March, on which there were \ n,p,bar
OF eggs of this fly, that had been deposited in The cI In ne
Vlous' and they produced insects similar 10 tc 81, rS
WIN the exception, that they were of A darker
cOioT, and somewhat shorter; no doubt he obta;noJ ~
an insect as nc describes; but it is not probaIIo a. sucn
Eggs could nave borne the cold of last winter ,uiTam"II
ana no egg having been frozen, will produce ~
~ must have had the progeny, from recent eoos. a.
rom chFysahds, ofthe fall previous, which nttar ' IS. ~
mstruct us, may be capable OF resisting onv Sn@roo
u coiu; ana he must have had the eggs. or cbrysai7s 81
On'o ouher insect, on the stalks; and not those of H. IL
ian ny, because this insect and the conno VIZ :
Vhich ne asslmilatcS il, are as totally d;ssimiIar in nno
M as wen as III aI respects, as Die butterfly and Tho
~n oPper, or as almost any two animals in the wide
"hSS Oh Zoology; the musquito belongs to tbe orJcr NJ
nave only two long erfeHdcd Transparent VIM. az
iessian lily belongs 10 the Hemiptera order. and bsss' cm oo n
i"e"n'Oent wings, of a black color; the formor no.. !
ohg legs, the latter, so short, as scarcelv toLo ~" ="
nc ny mas two horns at the hinder part If to II im
musquto has not. Mr.. Mckee, will readily noDanEn =
insect. i"'o mistaken the b
ms subject, sir, though apparently small. isonc or ,o T.
rst magnitude; the first interests Of agricultnsn 10 ~ .G !"
. rhvcsug'uoh' tI the end be accomplished. M
4 repeat siT' "thc notification is largely eg,cted - 81 So
nc hlIowing upon wheat stubble, will be The smros, &c
sVpny I"Tuc at present known, against this bitterest cnrso v
"si'oul'uFe and oil Yours respectfully,
JOSEPH /. MUSE. K