Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-07-21
farmers Department.
The Wheat FIY,

"Weevil" little information drawn from the
books" may not be unacceptable. The little
mites in the wheat heads called the weevil, are
the maggots of the wheat fly, known for the
last twenty years in this country under various
names BY some mistaken for the Hessian fly
and the grain weevil-among Entomologists it
is designated Cecidomyia Tritici." The
earliest written information of which i have
seen is found in letter by Christopher Gullet
and published in the Philosophical Transactions
in HIP. In that letter it is described as
small yellow fly with blue wings about the size
of a gnat, and as blowing into the ear of wheat
and producing a worm which seen through
microscope appears large yellow maggot of
the color and gloss of amber" Its ravages
are much complained of both in England and
Scotland, and in 1895 Mr.. Marsham investi-
gated this insect as appears by communication
i'll the Transactions of the Linnean society,"
since that date many persons have written
upon the subject all of whom have described
it as a small insect resembling somewhat the
gnat. Its first appearance noticed by our
writer's was in Canada and the first satisfactory
communication have seen was made by William
Evans and published in the Montreal Daily
Advertiser" in 1884, and afterwards republish-
ed in the Cultivator" Vol l, second edition,
page los. 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 according to the light in
which they are viewed 1t lays its eggs within
the gumes of the forets in clusters varying in
f1rp1 1lapf ftryo 70 tan
the larva feed upon the grain. They are pro-
duced from the eggs in the course Of eight or
ten days: They are at first perfectly trans
parent, and assume yellow color few days
afterwards They travel not from one foret
to another and as many as forty-seven have
been numbered in one foret. The same writer
adds " that he is not aware that this insect has
been found in Canada until last year 1888, but
that it appears to have multiplied prodigiously
and 1t is only when the grain is in the milky
state that they prey upon it, or rather upon
matter destined to form the grain Wheat in
new lands is not so likely to be affected byit."
DR.. Harris in his " Treaties on insects" a book
most valuable to every farmer) describes the
European and American wheat fly as essentially
the same. 1t is by him described as appearing
towards the end of June or when the wheat is
i'll blossom, " in swarms during the evening at
which time they are very active. The females
generally lay their eggs before nine o'clock at
night thrusting them by means of long retractile
tube in the end of their bodies within the
chafy scales of the flower in clusters from two
to fifteen or more. By day they remain at rest
on the stems and leaves of the plants where
they arc shaded from the heat of the sun
they continue to appear and lay their eggs
through period Of thirty-nine days The eggs
are oblong, transparent, and Of a pale buff
color and hatch in eight to ten days after they
are laid. The young insects produced from
them, are little f0OtleSS maggots, tapering to-
wards the head and blunt at the hinder extremi-
ty. They are at first perfectly transparent and
colcrless but soon take deep yellow or orange
color. They do not travel from one aoret to
another but move in a wrigglng manner, and
by sudden jerks Of the body, when disturbed
They soon crowd around the lower part of the
germ and there appear to subsst on the matter
destined to form the grain. The latter in
consequence of their depredations, becomes
shrivelled and abortive. The maggots when
fully grown are nearly one-eighth of an inch
long" 1t is generally believed and Mr.. Gorrie
has written satisfactorily upon the subject as
has also Mr.. Sheriff, Judge Bue, and Mrs.
Gage, that these maggots leave the ears of
wheat as soon as the kernel has hardened and |
descend to the ground and go into it, to the
depth of half an inch, where they remain in a |
torpid state during the winter, coming out of |
the ground in the winged form in the spring,
about the time the wheat is in blossom. This |
theory has been pretty we'll proved by the dis
covery of great numbers of these flies in June,
in fields where wheat had been raised the year
before.
The subject to the farmer is one of great
has been written upon it, but
up to this time no remedy has been found to
lessen the evil
Burning the stubble after harvest has been |
reSorted to and doubtless would be destructive |
to the ma"got while in the torpid state in the |
ground Fumigaton has also been resorted to-
Strips of woolen cloth dipped in melted brim-
stone and burned on the windward side of |
fields, for several successive evenings at the
time when the grain is in blossom and the Hy
is laying her eggs This is however not only |
troublesome preventive but quite doubtful in |
its results. The most likely and easily tried |
preventive would be lime or wood ashes strown |
over the grain when in blossom Early and |
late sowed wheat are said to be less likely to |
be injured-the former being out of blossom |
before the fly takes wing and the latter after
it has disappeared.
The best remedy in my opinion for the far
mers of our valley would be to put their wheat
fields for few years in with corn, oats, rye,
barley and grass. In this way they may starve
out the fly and put money in their pockets at
the same time
Unless other farmers have been more sue
Cessful with their wheat crops than have been
for the last few years they will find the fly,
which may drive them into raising other crops,
rather blessing than otherwise.
The fly, the rust and the frost with other,
" ills" which wheat is heir to" make it too |
crop just now, when money is
made by the operation" and would put me in
LIZ: l