Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1855-07-07
The Joint Worm.

We make an extract ffow paper by
Mr.. Townsend Glover on the joint worm
which will be Of interest to 4c agricultu-
raj portion Of our readers
.fThe joint worm. {Erg,oma hordei.)
now committing such rayages in the wheat
fieIds Of Virginia, is small, black, four
winged fv, about an eighth Of an Inch III
length. The female lays several eggs IN
the outer sheath Of the stalk, above the
ioints. After they batch, the words COM
mence feeding within The sheath, and the
4,onstan, irritation produced BY them fo' ms
a woody gall, or ra,he, succession of gals,
in the cavit, Of each of which lies small
footl,ss maggot, about the seventh, of an
inch in length. having body with thir-
seen segments, and CT a pale. glossv, yell
low color. The number of worms in each
cluster of gals varies from four to ten, or
even more. The substance of the stalk
attacked becomes brittle. and either par
italy or entirely fills its central cavity, and
frequently dis.orts il into various irregular
shapes. have often observed Young root
lets putting OCT Immediately below joint
thus affected. The worms on the stalks
u wheat, when examined in February
last. were vet in the la,va, but early in
March several had assumed the pupa state.
These pupas had the rediments of wings,
legs, aud antennae, as in the perfect fly,
but were motiopless. Late in April, and
the beginning Of May, the flies made their
appearance through holes gnawed through
the tough, woody covering OF the gail hike
exerescence in = hich they had passed the
winter. This Transformation, however,
took place in warm loom. The males,
according to d.. Harris, vary from the fe-
males by being smaller and in having no
piercers. The joints ofthe antennea are
likewise longer, and surrounded with
whorles Of little hairs. The kind body Is
shorter, less pointed at the extremity, and
is connected with The thorax bv longer
stem. He also says that among:fftecn fe-
males only one male was found. This
corresponds with what have observed, as
on: of sixty tn eighty JOINT worm flies pro-
duced ircm diseased STALKS Of wheat, | on
ly procured one male answering to his
description and eight parasites 10; quite
tenth of an inch III length. of dark me-
taIlic shade, with ye!low legs.
sAno,her lour-w,nged fly also made its
appearance from; the same stalks. of about
All eighth of an inch in length, with an abb
tolneg and legs ola bright yellow. The
head and ihorax were OF a dark color, and
somewhat metallic lustre. The wings
were transparent. dotted. and fringed with
sbor. hairs, and The i.iercer reached to the
aitiait of the under part of the abdo--
,Ien.
- AT the ioInt worm convention held a!
Warrenlon, Virginia, in 1854; The fOllow-
my was meTdrd:-Pfepare we'll the
land Intended f3r wheat, and SOW i, in the
beginning Of autumn. with the earliest and
most. thrifty aud hardy varieties, aud. do
nothing to retard the ripenins Of liz crop
by grazing or otherwise. Use euana or
some other fertilizer literally. particularly
when seeding corn land or stoubble. Burn
the s.ubble OR every field Of wheat. rye. or
oats, aud all ti,ickets OF other harbors of
vegetable growth contiguous TO the crop.
Sow the wheat ID as large bodies and i'll
possible, neisibors should arrange amongI
themselves TO sow adjoining fields the sap.e
year. Feed all the wheat or Other straw
which may be Infected ~ racks or pens,
or Oh confined spots; and in April set fire
10 all refuse fragments aboet the racks; and
on or beioie ihe FIST OF Mag carefully bum
all the straw which hast not been fed
The refuse Of wheat, such as screenings,
&c, should also be destroyed, as the pu-
qAmPness or wet