Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-07-28
yes are witnessed and The fly itself is seen upon the

sian fly does proceed from the egg deposited by pa
rent fly; that, consequently the theory of Mr. NJ Ken
ney has foundation in fact or philosophy, and iha
therefore, the whole supersructure he has erected
upon that foundation falls to the ground. Every
one OF the cases he brings his aid equally un
founded His reference 10 analogy is just as untortu
nate as his theory and his facts The garden pea bug
the chestnut worm the hickory nut worm, the in
Sect every of them produced from eggs de
posted by parent insects in their ectve repositories
but it surely cannot be necessary for me to quote au
thortes all these analogous cases after what
proved above
will now proceed 10 give you the natural history O.
the Hessan Fly, as it is, and has long been known &c
be, we'll established:
Al soon in the Fall as the wheat is up sufficiently
high the y depostes her eggs the upper surface oil
the leaves, twenty, thirty, &c. on each leaf The egg
about the o0th of inch long, and four hundredih oil
an inch in diameter, cylindrical, transparent and of
pale red color The egg matches in about four days. the
young arva maggot creePs down the leaf enters the
sheath, and, with The head downwards, fastens upon
the tender stalk generally just above joint. The
larva appears to feed solely upon the sap OF The plant
does gnaw the stalk, and enters it, but
gradually mbedded in it as the plant grows. Having
taken its post, the arva is stationary; it gradually
loses its reddish color, becomes translucent, and
conded with white spots and when near maturity, the
central part within is of geensh hue. In about FIVE
six weeks the larya begins TO assume a brownish
tinge, and is of bright chestnut color, when the
insect may be said to have reached the state Of pupa
II has then some resemblance TO HaIseed. 10 this
latter state it remains during Winter the OF
the plant and protected from the cold by the dead
leaves. Towards the end of April, and in the fore
part of May, the weather becomes warm
enough in Spring. the insects are transformed TO flies
They make their escape from their winter quarters by
breaking through end of their shell and the leaves
around Them The head and horax of the fly black,
the body is iawny, and covered with hue greyish hairs
The wings are blacksh, but less tinged
with yellow at the base where also they very mar
row; they fringed with short hars and rounded
at the end The body measures about one tenth of an
inch in length, and the wings expand quarter of an
inch or more. Its scientific is CecIdomyia des
ructor; it belongs to the order dpera which embraces
hes, gnats, &c Very after the flies come forth
IN the Spring they commence laying their eggs on the
leaves OF the wheat sown in the Autumn before, and
also on Spring wheat. They continue emerging from
their Winter quarters about three weeks when they
entirely disappear. The eggs they have laid, hatch,
the arva pass TO the stalk, and they become pupG
June and July. They found in this state at har-
vest and are left in the snbble in the fields; and these
again are transformed to flies above. Some Of The
larvn do not pass far down the TO be left
the suble, and these carried 10 the barn the
straw; and some of the pupn not transformed into
hes the Fall, but in the subbe straw till
Spring Thus II will be there two generations
IN year. This IS the true manner Of the propagation
of the Hessian fly, as agreed upon by numerous
turaiss and farmers of the highest respectabllity.
habits of The insect from Mr. Herrcks essay in Sill
mans Journal, and from the same author quoted
by Mr. Harris in his Treatise Insects. But have
compared all the facts stated, with the writings of
numerous other gentlemen, naturalIss end farmers,
and they oil agree every point II proper TO say,
that in The course of my researches, have found
several writers who give different accounts of the
place where the insects deposit their eggs and that MIR
Say, the naturalist, who published account Of
the insect IN the Journal of the Academy of Natural
Sciences, fell into the Of supposlng the insect
TO be rirparous. few persons assert that the insect
deposits her eggs the grain Of the wheat; evidently
msaklng some other insect, probably The ueer for the
t1essan fly. will conclude this part Of the by
quoting from Harrs-"The fact that the Hessan fy
does ordinarily lay her eggs The young leaves Of
wheat, barley and rye land he ght have said corn
timothy and other grasses, in the absence of wheat,
&c both in spring and in the autumn is too well au-
the ntica,ed to admit Of any doubt
ough, 10 add that have only quoted very small
number of the authorities who support the "egg theo
ry deemng It useless to occupy your pages with more
than ust enough TO set the matter lis true light In
all my researches have found but one writer except
MIR. SayD who doubted the 'egg theory and that one
have quoted in the fore part OF this paper. With all
others, the only doubt 10 have BEEN not whether
according to the laws of that regulate the pro
pagaton of all organized beings, animal and vegetable,
the Hessian fly proceeds from parent fy of the same
kind; but 10 the place in which it deposits its eggs;
some contending that it deposits them the leaves,
(which rue others that deposits them in the grain
This is the only material point of dispute. They all
agree that she deposits eggs, except MIR. Say, who sup
posed that she deposited her progeny in the maggot
form, and hence was vIyi parous.
AS TO preventive, nearly all the writers differ as TO
the best of destroying the fly preventing its
wages; aontendng that deep seeding would save the
wheat, Others that late planting would do it, Some sup
pose that burning the stubble soon after harvest would
destroy if all the larve others, that ploughing
and turning The stubble completely and deeply under
after harvest, would destroy them. There IS pro-
badly merit in each and all of these suggestions
Every of the writer's who make them speaks Of the
success that has attended his practice. The most
important suggestion, in my opinion, was made by the
late Judge Buell. 1t is, that as soon as The eggs are
discovered 10 have been deposited puverized un.
slaked lime should be st'own the wheat He
contends, that the lime will naturally find lis way
down the leaf, and come in contact with the eggs
and maggos, and inevitably destroy them But 1t
is certain, that remedy has had the effect to de-
s,roy proven; the fly probably from not having been
thoroughly practised rs II is still prevalent, and oc
casinnally makes great havoc with wheat, though it is
nothing like destructive as it few years after
It's FIRST discovery. AT that time its ravages so
great that many farmers in some places abandoned the
culture Of wheat. If q suggestion of my own IS OF
any force, | would remark, that | think judlcious
rotation of crops the most likely TO lessen The evil,
and possibly 10 suppress it. With this view, if corn
be planted after wheat, wheat should not follow the
corn, but either some other crop falow should sue
coed, and the field should be put in wheat again
until three yeurs at least had interviewed. The hy in
my opinion will be, and is often if not always sup.
ported by the corn that Immediately succeeds wheat,
and hence the wheat that follows will be likely
TO he affected by the fly The fly does not njure corn
it too robust, pant-but think it likely that it in
tests in the Spring, at least occasionally 10 The 70
taton Of crops, would also endeavor to have the
field of wheat Of this year far from that of last year
as possible. May not the comparative exception We
now enjoy be attributable To the system Of rotation so
generally praciised of late years
have deemed it unnecessary TO 90 over The history
Of the supposed introduction and discovery of the fly
in this country-Tha is Of no use, and your valuable
columns can be much probably occupied.
GIDEON 3 SMITH.
u EMOyAL.-JoHN G. WhYT DEsrIsr. has removed his
IL Office Rank above the Banks Main street
] aIsar II