South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1836-07-02

complete its growth, depend in a grea
degree upon the quantity Of nourish
ment it may obtain from the grain, &
the number Of maggots that may hap
pen to be on one straw. This, aecor.
ding to the best Of my observations
is somewhere between four and 81,
weeks, which will bring the time, il
which its growth will generally b'
completed, to the first part of June
But here the several causes in the va
ration in the time Of its being laid in
the wheat, and Of its completing its
growth, both conspire to render this
time 80 various, that some will be full
grown, and others transformed into a
chrysalis pupa], while others are
small, and this circumstance has no
doubt led many skilfui observers to
| suppose, that there are two complete
generations Of the insect before har-
vest" The second time that the fly
issues from the pupa, depends also in a
great degree, on circumstances.-"It
generally" says Havens "begins bout
The goth and 25th ofAugust, and con.
tinues in greater or less degree thro'
the whole month of September, but by
far the greater part Of the species are
without doubt transformed into fly,
in the first part Of this latter month";"
By understanding the history oflhis
insect we are enabled to apply the
means for its destruction, or for eseap.
ing its ravages. AS it remains upon
the stubble in the pupa state after har-
vest, the first means to be used, is to
destroy the stub66 soon after cutting
the soheat. This is to be done either
by ploughing or burning. If by the
former, the pupa is buried in the earth,
and is thus prevented from changing
TO the fly; or if it changes, it cannot
escape. Unless therefore, the stubble
be completely buried, the experiment
will not succeed, consequently the
deeper the pINaghing the better. II by
the latter, the stubble mus. be entirely
burnt in order that the destruction
lies near the root, i, will escape; unless
the fire be we'll applied.
But the best method Of preventing
the mischief occasioned by it, is TO soao
so late that tbs a0heat sciH not be aboos
The ground, until the autumn fly has
persisted. AS the fly is in the state Of
greatest activity early in September,
the wheat which is up al thai season,
will be most liable to be destroyed on
the contrary, if the sowing is deferred
till a month later, it will in grea,
measure escape. 1t is supposed that
q single FROST will destroy all lhe insects
while in the state Of the fly, and if the
wheat is not up before such an occur
renee, no danger whatever 10 TO be
apprehended.
In endeavoring however, to escape
one calamity, it is necessary 70 avoid
the opposite evil. II the grainis sown
too late, there will be danger, as is OBJ
vious, OF its suffering from the effects OF
the frost of winter, or ia other words,
Of being wintcr killed. Hence mid
die course must be adopted. Ii may
| also be observed, that as there is de-
cided advantage in early sowing where
wheat is not attacked by the ny, il
would not be advisable where no dan
ger OF such attack is TO be apprehen-
ded, as is the case in some places, TO
SOW late in order to avoid lis ravages.
The best evidence in favor Of late
| sowing, as a meaas of preventing inlu-
ny from the hy,is experience. Among
other instances, two are related by a
corr espondent of this paper in Penn
sylvania, (vol. 8, p. s2l0 who waited
ill the first autumnal ffost, when his
| grain was sowed and covered as spec
| div as possible. The result was that
next harvest he had good crop OF ex-
celent wheat, while his neighbors on
each side of him. who sowed earlier
did not reap more than one fifth of the
quantity and that injured oy the fly
| The other instance was this :-Ont
half Of the wheat crop was. first scwn
when heavy fall Of rain took place
which retarded the sowing of the res
until dry weather +; when it was mar
vested, The first sown was scarcely
worth taking into the barn, while thu
latter proved an average coop OF mef'
[ charitable wheat. In these Instances
The effect of frost,in destroying the pa
rent insect, is obvious.
I Although the autumn ny 10 consid
cred as the cause of the far greater par
Of the mischief, much injury is oitei
| committed BY the spring ny. This
more especially tho case where IN
! wheat is sown TOO late in the laii, an,