Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1836-11-24

THE HESSIAN FLY.

THE HESSIAN FLY.
AS it is a matter Of some import
ance to farmers to know the history
and habits of the Hessian Fly, have
taken some pains to acquire this
knowledge, which l shall, for their
benefit, impart to them, avoiding as
much as possible, all technical Ian
guage.
The Hessian Fly, as it is COM
monty called, is of that genus of in.
sects known to naturalists by the name
tentkredo, and it is kind of aoingea
ant, very small, being not line, or
twelfth part of an inch in length. 1t
might more properly be called the
acheat insect for l have been unable
to ascertain that it deposites it's eggs
on any other plant. From long oh,
servation am of opinion that the eggs
are deposited generally in the fall, and
have my doubts whether they are ever
IN the spring. The place selected for
the purpose of depositlng the eggs, is
between the first or second blade and
the stalk.
Early in the month ofApril, the egg,
or mt, will be found either at the root,
under the first blade, or just above the
hrst Joint, under the second blade :;
rarely, yet sometimes as high as the
second joint. have said that have
my doubts whether the eggs are erer
deposited in the spring. In favor of
this doubt are these arguments. 1t
would appear impossible that such a
delicate insect should be able to en-
dure the severe cold of such winter
as the last. All wing>I insects, with
whose habits we are acquainted, such
as the butterfly, silk worm moth, and
other moths, depositc their eggs either
In the summer or fall. The uniformi-
ty In Natures operations also deserves
notice. Those who advocate the o.
plnion that the eggs are deposited in
the spring admit that some are depos
tied in the fall. This would lead to
the conclusion that there are two class
es of these insects which would be
lmpugning the wisdom of Nature, and
DONG violence to the we'll known
Observation-Disclosures never employs two
causes, when one is sufficient to pro-
duce the effect"
1t Is an erroneous idea that the ny
eats the wheat o. straw. The nit or
egg receives its nourishment by alb
sorptlon, and as it increases in size,
1T presses upon the tender stalk, and
forms complete bed. The wheat is
destroyed by the pressure upon the
stalk, which prevents free circula-
ton Of the sap. Late in the month of
April, the egg will be found to have
become living maggot, or as natu-
ralists have it, a chrysaIis in May it
becomes covered with brown parch-
ment-like case, and thenceforward to
the Goth of July, or 1st of August, has
not the least locomotion then it e.
merges from its shell, eats through the
blade, and takes wing. Thousands
of them fall victims to birds, such as
the swallow, night hawk or bull bat,
whippoorwi!l, and all those birds that
feed upon the wing. Five hundred
have been observed in one night
hawk, or bull bat, recently shot
Hence will be perceived the great i'm
propriety of killing these birds; for
they are doubtless designed by an all
wise Providence for the destruction of
those insects, which would otherwise
become an intolerablc annoyance to
man.
Finding my wheat not to look so
well as usual in May last, | examined
it, and found that but few escaped the
notice Of the fly. From one to four
eggs were found on a stalk, in that
state which is best known to farmers
by the name ofthe t1ar-Seed state be-
ing at that time about the size and
shape ofthat seed, but OF little dark
er color. In wheat sown on a clover
lay, about the first of October, they
were found commonly to occupy that
portion of the stalk immediately above
the first joint. completely covered BY
the blade. In wheat sown in the Iai-
ter part of October on corn Ground
lined and MANFRED, the fly was more
commonly found under the first blade
and near the root. Ills was less in
Jured and turned out better crop than
fh,s former nm Ground