Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-04-26
From the Cultivaor.
REPORT OF THE GRAIN.WORM.

iural Convention, 10 continue the investigation
| IN regard 10 the grain worm, report
That since the last meeting It has been
discovered. that there are two species Of
insects which deprcda,e upon the wheat
| crop. viz. the Cecydomia tritici Of Kirby.
yellow and apparently inert insect, not
to exceed one eighth Of on inch in leyg,h.
and an unnamed creeping thing, three
e'ghths Of an inch long. The first, which
was noticed in last years report, preys only
upon the gram in lis milky state. or upon
he pollen OF the grain the latter is saId
! to prey upon the ripened grain, and to be
| found among it in great quantities when
passed through the tanning mill. The first
appeared ten TO twelve years ago, near
the borders of Canada. ond has been ex-
tending annually since, east, west, north
and south. The latter has been seen &C.
casonally for several years. and during the
last yeats has been found in great numbers
in the wheat crops of West New York and
Northern Pennsylvania. The former is
believed to be far the most injurious. The
two insects have been go conrounded. in
the accounts Of their depredaiions, that it
| Is difficult to discriminate, or to determine
the extent to which each has spread among
us.
In their former report upon the grain.
worm the committee quoted from Kirby,
he entomologst, that the insect first
makes its appearance under The form Of an
orange coloureJ gnat, which introducing ,ts
long retractlle ovlposior into the centre OF
the corolla, there deposi'es it's eggs
These being ha ched, the Iarvm, perhaps
by eating The pollen, prevent the impregpe.
ton of the grain, &C." and the committee
added, on the authority of Prof Low, that
the progeny feed upon the young grain;
that they are very small, from two 10 four
teen being sometimes found 10 one grain:
and are distinguished by being Of a bright
orange colour, that they ITO not ertend be-
yond The grain in chieh they are born; that
the larv@, offer period. fall down 10 the
earth, in which they burrow, and remain
there until the following summer when
they ascend from The earth in the form Of
the beautiful fly or guat. which has been
mentioned. The Committee will make q
further quotation in regard to the habits
and depredallons of the Cecydomia triiici
from the recent edition of Loedons Ency.
cloped'a OF Agriculture.
The wheat'dy generally makes its ap.
peorance about the end Of June; and &C.
cordIng to the evidence OF Mr. Sheriff they
exist about thlrty.nine days. The hue of
the thy ls orange. the wings transparent.
and changing color according to the ligh.
in which they are viewed. 1t lays it's eggs
within The glumes Of the forete, in clusters
varying from two to ten, or even 10 fit cen.
and the lavre feed upon the grain. They
are produced from in The course of eight or
ten days; they are first perfectly transpa-
rent, and assume yellow colour a few days
afterwards; they travel not from one horct
to another. and forty.seven have been
numbered in one. Occasionally there are
found in the same f1oret, lavre and grain
which is shrveed, as if deprived of nour-
Ishmcnt; and although the pollen may fur.
n'sh the lavre with food in The first instance,
they soon crowd around the lower part OF
the germen, and subslst, on the matter des-
tined 10 form the grain. Mr.. Gorrie est.
mates the loss sustained bv the farming
interests, in the carse Of Gowry district
alone. by the wheafh fly. q, Geo 900 10 1897;
at 100000 in 1928; and at f36 900 in
1899"
Such as above described is precisely the
appearance of the fly, of its larve, and OF
It's habits and depreda'lons, that have fal.
len under our observation: and and altho'
your committee think it has extended as.
far west as the Gcnesee valley. they are
in doubt whether it has been there iden,i-
fed as the wheat destroyer. So far as our
observation has extended. the insect is but
seldom found in the wheat ear at harvest.
The chairman sowed a sample of early
May wheat. received from Gen. Cook, OF
Virginia, late last fall, and another early
this spring He watched it daily and mar
rowly on its coming into head. The small
fy or gnat was seen in great numbers upon
It before and after sunset. The heads were
filled with larvG, hardly a kernel in ffy
escaped; and yet, on gathering bundle Of
he straw at maturity, there was hardly
found an insect remaining in the wheat
heads.
The committee are happy to be able IN
confirm, in measure, the truth Of The init.
nation given in their last report. VIE. that
late sown spring wheat will escape The
ravages OF the worm. BY late sowing thew
mean from and after the Goth May at Al.
bany-earlier at the south, and later at the
north according to latitude and altitude, or
the forwardness Of spring vege'atIon.-
They give the following in proof of the
correctness of this conclusion.
All wheat sown before the tenth Of Nav
that came under their observation last sum-
mer, was more or less injured by the worm.
Nj that was sown after the Goth May es.
capped it's ravages. OF that which was
sown between the l0Ih ana me 20lh. some
escaped injury, and some was considerably
injured, One OF the committee sowed
Italian and tea wheat on the 10th. The
fly was seen upon it for q few days after il
came into head: although no material 10.
jury to The crop was percep'ible.
An excellent and observing farmer in
Walingiord VI. nearly 100 mlles north of
Albany, sowed parcels severally on the