Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1845-05-01

intended wheat field, it is supposed the Fly will
lay its eggs on the plant then let Them be-
ploughed in, and The wheat sown. The fly
having nearly exhausted itself on fhe oats. the
wheat wiIlsu less. This plan may possi-
bly, be Of some partial utility.
9Th. Drawing heavy roller over the young
wheat both in autumn and spring THIS pro-
cess may be useful in crushing many eggs aud
Larvae.
10Th. Permitting sheep and other animals TO
Craze the whea,-felds while the insects are
laying their eggs. By these means, large
numbers Of the eggs will be deyoured with the
leaves.
llIh. Burning the slubbe Immediately after
harvest, and poughing in the remains. This
Is by far the most practicable and efectual
mode of exlerminating the insect, or. al least of
checking lis Increase. In the s,ubbe are ma
ny pure of the fly, al this time completely in
our power; if, in reaplng, the siubble is left
high, the fire would sweep rapidly over field.
and destroy nearly all these pupa; the few
which escaped The fire, would, by the plough,
be buried so deep as 10 perish in the earth;
mere ploughing in of the s,ubbe must be high
ly useful If the TWO recommendations last
named were thoroughly put in practice over The
whole country-not only upon wheat, but also
on rye and barley, and any other plants attacked
by The Hessian Ay--,he ravages Of this n-
sect would, in all probability, ere long, become
scarcely worthy of notice.
II may not be improper, in this place, TO stale
that the foregoing account Of the habits of The
Hessan fly is derived from my own long-con-
tinued observations, and that have moreover
endeavored to consult all the papers of any i'm.
portance which have been published on The
subject.
! There are in the United States, besides the
Hessian fly, several other insects which attack
the wheat while in the field Those persons
who assert that the former lays its eggs on the
grain in the spike or head have undoubtedly
mistaken for the Hessian fly some one Of these
other insects. The following brief notices of
the more important of these enemies, have
abridged from the accounts comprised in Dr. t.
w. Harris '' Treatise on some of the insects Of
New England, phich are injurious to uegetation;"
/ (Camb. 1912: 459 pages, Svo.,) work Of great
interest and value.
In it the inquirer will find faithful digest Of
all the reliable information we have on the nu-
merous insects which injure our plants, fruits,
and trees; and, in addition, he will learn the
means Of defence, so far as any have been dis
covered The book ought TO be in the hands
of every intelligent farmer and orchardsi.
l. A grain moth, (Angoumois molh-alucita
cerealeHa, Oliv.) probably the same as described
by Colonel Carter, in the Transactions of the
American Philosophical Society, volume l. l77l.
and by J. Lorain. in Mease's Archives of Use
ful Knowledge, volume ii. 1872 II is abou,
ihree-eighhs of an inch long when its wings
are shut. The upper wings are of light
brown satin color and luslre, covering the body
horizontally above, but dropping little at the
elutS lie lOWcl wings anu 1851 vi tue
body are ash.colored The moth lays her eggs
usually on the young and tender grain in the
field; each caterpillar from these eggs selects
single grain, burrows into il, and remains con-
cealed, deyouring The meal within Subjecling
The grain 10 heat Of l67 degrees Fair, for
twelve hours, in an oven, will kill the insect.
2. The English wheat fly (tipula ritici, Kir-
by) is small orange-colored two. winged gna,,
which lays its eggs in The head Of wheat while
blossoming. The maggols from these egg, are
without feet, taperlng towards the head, al fIs,
perfectly transparent and colorless, but soon be-
coming orange-yellow: and when mature, are
each about an eighth of an inch long. Il is
supposed they devour the pollen, and preyen,
The setting of the grain; the maggols fall from
The spike TO the earth, within which they un.
dergo their final transformations. This insect
Tor one very similar TO il) has done much dam
age IN the Northern States and Canada, for
several years past but no efeclual mode Of pre-
venting the mischief or of desiroyin, lhs in