Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-05-30

G II / C. u 1T u II E
THE I1ESSJAN FI.y


observations communicated at the regacstOfs Hon.
H. L. EiLs,coriA 6y f.. {. IRrrtch, Librarian o.
Yaie Coaege, Connecticut
The insect commonly called the Hess'an fy
which has for so many years ravaged Inc wneat
fields OF our country, appears 10 nave been Wnoi-
IL unknown here before the American Revolu-
ton. Il is usually stated, that The insect was
first noticed in The year l11G OF l119, on Staten
Island and the Westerly end OF Long Island,
and was generally supposed 10 have been intro
duced among straw brought hilher by The lies
sian troops in the service OF Grea, Britain. The
rayages OF the insect soon attracted general al
ten,ion; and, as early az The year lISS serious
apprehensions were excited in England that The
DESTROYER might be conveyed thither in some car
20 of wheat The alarm there was SO great, that
The Government took up the matter; "the Privy
Council sa, day after day. anxiouslg debating
wha, measures should be adopted 10 ward on the
danger Of calamity more 10 be dreaded. as they
we'll knew, than the plague or pestence; ex-
presses were sent of In all directions TO The
officers Of The customs Al the outporfs, respect
ing the examination Of eargoes; dispatches writ
ten 10 the Ambassadors in France, Austria, Pms
sa, and America, 10 gain that information, Of
The want Of which they were now 50 sensible: and
SO important was the business deemed, that The
minutes of the Council, and the documents cola
ted from, fill upwards of 200 octave page. =
(kirby and Spence. !, 50.) On the 95lh Of June
of that year, an order in council was issued, pro-
hibiting the entrance into Great Britain Of wheat
raised in any Of The territories OF the United
States; intending BY this measure, 10 keep out
the much dreaded enemy. Soon after the arrival
of the news oil this order, the supreme executive
council of PENNSYLVANIA addressed Letter OF In.
quiry 10 The "Phadelphia Society for Promoting
Agriculture" who promptly replied that the plant
al the wheat alone was injured and that The in
sect was no, propaga,ed by sowing The grain
which grew on fields infected with il. The pro-
hihition was doubtless based on the erroneous
representation Of Sir Joseph Banks and DIR.
Blagden, which they continued TO enforce, even
after they were better instructed by DR.. Currie.-
II IL sufficiently remarkable, that, although the
wheat was prohibited an Sentry" 1t was allowed
to be stored; SO that the uessan fly, II concealed
among the grain, would, after all, have had good
opportunity 10 escape into the country. In eight
or ten months, the Government bought the impri.
soned wheat at prime cost, kiln dried II, and re-
sold it a, great loss, and almost immediately took
of the prohibition. (Mempir Of Currie, ii, 65.)
In the cuurse'of few years afer this, the Hes
sian Nv was found in every part of our country
where wheat was cultivated. From the period Of
the Revolution down TO The present time, no IN
sect in the land has received SO much public al
tention, or has called out So many scores OF pa
yes Of observation and speculation. These are
10 be found scattered through magazines, agricni-
tnral journals, and common newspapers. But IN
defiance OF them all, the Hessian fly continues
its destructive work, and Is probably as little un-
der the actual control Of man as il was halt
century ago.
Whether this insect was an original inhabitant
OF this country, or was imported By the Hessan
soldiers Is question not yet settled. AT the time
OF the discussion which led to The prohibiiory or
der, an extensive inquiry in Europe resulted in
the conclusion, that the insect was wholly un-
known there. Yet, in the year 1884. it was found
existing in several places in Southern Europe,
and injuring the wheat in the same manner as
10 this country This imporan, discovery was
made by my friend, Mr.. James D. Dana, who
had previously been engaged with me in the ex.
animation OF the Hessian Nv, and was well qua
lifted to decide upon the case. (AmeIican Jour
nal OF Sciences. XII, 1885, Moreover, We have
an account from the vicinity Of Geneva, in Swift
zerland reported by Duhamel, Of an insect de-
sIoyipg the wheat there as long since as 1872, in
the manner Of the Hessian iy; and an account,
in 1923. by Raddi, OF what is probably the same
insect, in various places in Italy. No traces have
been detected Of any insect Of the habits Of The
Hessian dy, in our country. earlier than The year