Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-08-03
THE FARM:
The Garden-.-Thc Orchard.
THE WHEAT FLY.

ny GEN. 3. W. srUnDEvAST, wILKEs-BARRE.
MEssRs. EpIroRs.-Just at this time
when the farmers of our valley are SO gen.
orally complaing of the probable destruc-
ton of their wheat crop by what they arc
calling the "Wcevil," little information
drawn from "thc books may not be un-
acceptable. The little mites in the wheat
heads called the weevil, are the maggots
of the "wheat fy," known for the last
twenty years in this country under various
names. By some mistaken for the Hess
ian fly, and the grain weevil-among En-
tomologists it is designated ''Cecidomyia
Tritici' The earliest written information
of which l have seen is found in a letter
by Christopher Gullet and published in
the Philosophical Transactions in 1772.
In that letter it is described as a small
yellow fly with blue wings about the size
of gnat, and as blowing into the ear Of
wheat and producing a worm "which seen
through microscope appears large yell
low maggot of the color and gloss of am
ber" Its ravages are much complained
of both in England and Scotland, and in
1898 Mr.. Marsham vestigated this in
sect as appears by a communication in the
transactions of the Linnean Society
since that date many persons have written
upon the subject, all Of whom have de
scribcd it as a small insect resembling
somewhat the gnat.
Its first appearance noticed by our wri-
ters was in Canada, and the first satisfac-
tory communication have seen vas made
by William Evars and published in the
"Montreal Daily Advertiser in 1854,
and afterwards republishcd in the "Culti-
vator' Vol. l, second edition, page lo5.
In that communication we are told that
the wheat fly generally makes its appear
ance about the last of June, and according
to observations made they exist through
period of thirty-nine days. The hue of
the fly, says Mr.. Evans, is orange, the
wings transparent, and changing color ac-
cordiug to the light in which they are
viewed 1t lays its eggs within the
clumcs of the forets in clusters varying
in number from two to ten or even fifteen
and the larva feed upon the grain. They
are produced from the eggs in the course
of eight or ten days, they are at first per-
fectly transparent, and assume yellow
color few days afterwards, they travel
not from one forct to another, and as many
as forty-scven have been numbered in one
loret The same writer adds "that he is
not aware that this insect has been found
in Canada until last year 1883, but that
it appears to have multiplied prodisiously
and i. is only when the grain Is IN the
milky state that they prey upon 1t, or ra-
tber upon matter destined to form the
rrain. Wheat in new lands is not SO like
" to be affected by it, DR.. Harris III
his "Treatise on insects Ga book most
valuable to every farmer describes tue
Eusnpean and American wheat fly as eS'
scntially the same. 1t is by him deseF'o-
ed as appearing towards the end OF june
or when the wheat is in blossom, "in
swarms during the evening at which time
they are very active. The females gener-
ally lay their eggs before nine o'clock at
night thrusting them by means of long re-
traetile tubes in the end Of their bodies,
within the chaffy scales Of the flower, in
clusters FROM two to Gi,een OF more. BY