The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1837-08-22
From the Vermont Chronicle.
THE WHEAT WORM.

THE WHEAT WORM.
.Messrs. Richards and ITacy,-As l live IN
part of Vermont that is not good for raising
corn, have turned my attention to wheat. For
a number of years have raised from 100 to l5o
bushels year; but for two years past it has
been considerably injured by the grain fly.
have perused the two late articles respecting
this insect with interest. | presume that few
of our farmers know what this fly is. Although
l have tried repeatedly'to ascertain what fly it
was, (some say one kind and some another,) l
have not been able to ascertain till within week.
always supposed the egg or worm Il do not
believe it undergoes any change from the time
it is laid till it leaves the kernel only it increases
in size,) was laid in the kernel, and could not be
discovered till some time after the blossoming OF
the wheat but having examined my wheat
carefully in the bloom and before the heads fair
Iy get out of the sheath, can find worms in
the heads plentifuly wherever they work,
whether in the bloom or just at the time the head
makes its appearance. I find by examination
that the maggot first makes its appearance be-
tween the buds Fl. e. the green husk that con-
tains the embryo kernel and stock. Take hold
of the buds and the stalk, and gently open them
so that the eye may have fair view Of that part
of the stock which was mostly covered by the
buds, and you will discover the maggot, and
sometimes great number together, hardly dis
cernable to the naked eye, and some of them in
the act of making their way through the husk
into the kernel. This led me to conclude that
the fly must be very small to lay the egg in so
small place as between the stock and kernel
Having examined number of times in the day,
happened to be in the field just about sunset.
To my establishment found host of small flies,
about the color of the maggot, (perhaps between
a red and yellow,) busily engaged, going from
one part of the head to another. Being so small
and their abdomen so slim, they would hang by
their feet and work themselves into the place de-
scribed to lay their nits. No one that has wit
messed the operations of this fly can have any
doubt respecting it. l have showed them to my
neighbors and they were equally surprised with
myself but were fully convinced that this
is the fly. 1t is not much larger than the mag
got when it leaves the grain--I should not think
more than half aslarge as the common musquito.
have examined a number of times in the
day since, but can find the flies at work on the
grain only at sunset. think they can only be
found on the grain about that time. / presume
they would never be noticed at any other hour,
but 60 into your grain carefully, and if you can
find any weeds or grass, shake them slightly
with the hand, and the flies will start from their
hiding places. But at sunset you can find them
plenty on the wheat heads.
have only two small pieces of wheat that I
can find very many in, and those lie near piece
of s:ubble ground where had wheat last year
that was badly injured. This stubble ground
was put down to grass. 1t has invariably hap.
pened that every year when have had wheat
near piece that was stocked and on which 7
raised wheat the year before, the worms have
been five times as numerous. I have had large
pieces of wheat adjoining ground where had
wheat the year before, but the stubble being
ploughed in, they have troubled me in such cas-.
es but little.
From these facts it appears to me that if far
mers would raise wheat on no ground but such
as they would plough after the crop, so as te
cover the stubbe, for if the ground could b,
thoroughly burnt oveI) soon we should cease tt
be troubled with the worm
have but vey little doubt that the maggo
leaves the kernel and lies on or very near tn
surface of the ground till the time arrives mex
season for it to appear; so that when the groun
is ploughed, it bures them so deep that few
ever find their way out.
AS to lime and ashes, am making the trial
hope that it may be useful What effect it wi
have cannot tell. Any effort that promises tn
least success should be made.
A YANKEE FARMER.
August z.