Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-05-15
THE IlESSIAN FLY-CECIDOMYIA
INSTRUCTOR.

L'"n"us, has done of late years a great deal o
ud'mdge TO our wheat crops in this country, a.
wen as IN Europe, and in some places occasioned
,r w. anu iaihIne by lis devastatIons We cal
was enormously supposed TO have been miro.
duced IN straw with the Ilessan troops durino
the war. he same, or il not The same, n sitni-
lar insect has also appeared in England, and
spread horror among the farmers. Often ill
late in the season wheat seems to be IN excel
lent condition, but about the month of Nav the
ears will begin to hang down and the stems to
bend, aud soon patches " III appear in different
parts OF the field, which are probably of poorer
sou Than the others, with the plants entanged
aud matted together, as though lodged by h. w
rams Ths singular appearance wouli at first
be supposed To be the effect Of high winds but
1t will be found to spread in fine, calm, warm
days, from the poor soils to those richer, and
fnaly to the best land, thus bllghing our fairest
hopes. More than two-ihirds of the straw is
often lodged in less than week, and heavy
rams VIII then often complete the work Of de-.
structIon, 50 that wheat fields will appear as If
herds OF cattle had gone over them
The cause Of damage, if sought for. will soon
be discovered. as at the crown Of the root OF
each "i the wheat plants, or al the frs, Joint
within tie shcai OF the leaf, whole clusters OF
pn n ol THIS insect are found. Those plants,
the roots oi winch are attacked die Off: and the
Spots To winch the insects ias en- themselves on
the still soft straw within the shcaf of the leaf
NH be found 10 BE- brown, witherel and touoh.
YET without any apparent wound. The straw
winch becomes lodged produces small ears, with
lew ana imperfect grains, which ripen with df-
hcu'y ana are Of very inferior quality. The
largest o. me insects are about the length OF
'wo INES. Their color is pale green, with
Iit th,,
strongest individuals, penetrate hch into the
tube OF the straw, which they rob of the sap
rising up from the roots. The straw in conSc.
qnrnce becomes dry at the first joint, and falls
over or leans on lis neighbor. The upper par,
OF Tue straw receives It's nourishmcnt lrcG the
atmosphere alone, and the ears form, but they
VIII continue ~ slckly condition, aud can only
produce snail shrivelled grains The life Of
the caterpillar appears To hr from about "a To 80
days AZ the straw ripeus, the ins ects cbanrc
Their color into browns. h hue, sliriyel IN and
Hnaiiy sappear. 1t has not been OBJ .eryed
mat these insects were most abundant in any
particular situation or di spnsiton of the ground.
hey appear IN as great numbers on elevated
ground as IN those fields that lie low; and are
"o' more numerous IN those having "A southern
expos ire than IN tn use that open 10 the nor,h.
N.iih'r has "A rich or less copious manurinr an,
lnil1auce on them.
w &C." 'ic papa ca-S->rened il is easily 90 |
sc'Ved, parity from the form OF the puD1. and
p'r'ly from The unchanged caterpillar in the |
pups STATE, TIA, 1t is small lr. II is extremely
tender and SNAIL and is scarcely the SIC of A
comm" i~qudo. l. BODY Is covered with ,
9"n'' o'tch mars. The 'h4iay 90. throat su.lci. ,
a's'.e'' Smooth ana slnog The Sc8tclilHi
projecting. rounded p"steroriv, the breast SOM,
times golden yellow; the abdomen b-owni.h;
,"e wings o'a'klsh; the golden yellow OF the
oase Is continued sometimes 10 HE VEINS her.
1t appears lighter, and disappears by do,reos
about the middle. The haIteres are yeIlowi,h
white; the legs golden yellow at the base of
me thgh. The female has a black streak on
Tue abdomen. The larva is, ACCORDING to Say,
SP'n"if shaped and whlilsh; the pos,eriur end
'uudenly diminished the head beu, inwarts, |
ana transparent above. A snort green line is re- |
lharNed within, which is the intestinal canaI.-l
u Is dr'y white below; in younger specimens
ms coorinI appears like nine spots on each
sdn, and has row of still smaller spots in the
middle. When the larva are fully own. they
uiH'e ~ regular cross segmenis round the wheat:
'"ey are then provided with very small hooks
or ho'ches toward the head when taken from
me straw they are Inmovable. Their length
IS 'ee,'"en'Ieths OF an inch. The pupa, or
rather the papa case resembles the fail grown
",
without motion. The perfect insect appears in
May or Jhne the female lays her eggs from
one 10 c'9lt IN number, IN the autumn, by means
81 an "'iPosiirr between the sheaf of the leaf
nearest The root OF the stem, where the younp
Iaf'd, As soon as they are Matched, find their
"ourIshMent. Here the ldrva are sad to mass
the winter with their heads turned downward.
ne injury which these insects occasion is OF !
r'nfse "ot observed tili the wheat has grown |
higher.
NJ natural enemy Of his whca, fy is an
&c ht"n'n- ,ika insect, still smaller than the ily
Is y named By Say, cerapiron deSiruc'or. THIS
IN u insect " generally 50 humorous, that but
c| o. me larNd OF the wheat ily attain the ne /
''- - VIC 'fdua'oruilon. The greater mum. /
Der "i pHpa ot the lIcsslan A. are often ,onnd
| AZ "i These parasites, which prevent bad clE.r,s
Tor the next season.
Ihe remedies which reason suggests should
g Anp cl on the reappcaranre al thoso insects,
ttr l"Nht "a inc ccouony of tln insect Itself
ne letscl insect l. too smlli Tor ~ to pursr.
- a"d t IS equally d,tiieult to effect anythlnu
~ h ieIarl To us eggs and young larry. in the
au huin aud winter, as at that time no certain
Il! OF tlelr elstence Is percep,ibIe Il is only
when the wheat has produced ears, that me
presence o' these larva or pupa can be detected
ny me tail ng down of single stalks bu, even
al lhls period no farmers WI be willing To sacri
u.e thi rest OF the harvest to DESTROY the enemy,
The 'n'Y practicable mode If deslroyinr the in.
sect l., therefore, to wait til the corn il reaped
md then 10 burn the stubbe in which the puua
IS concerted II il should be impos be to de-
MS, nothing remains but to SOW the fields with
some other gram but wheat; indeed not to sow
wheat anywhere near them, that the flies may
not carry their eggs there. There are some
Nnds OF wheat. the Virginia for instance, whose
straw is too dense and tough for this insect to
penetrate. This was cultivated with one or two
other kinds of the same hardness, for many
years IN the East ID in Virginia, for the pur-
pose OF avoiding The ~. |, is a fortunate cir.
cHms'ance that the fly has several enemies, tine
rhiel OF which is the one called the ceropiroa
asar"cfor' This insect is supposed To prevent
.ne entire loss OF our wheat crops by feeding on
'he csc'donyia in great numbers. ELI
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LEARNING.-A cobber DESTROYS of es,fvino
MS appreciation of Tho daal I,,.,.