Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1858-10-22
farmers Column.
Destroying Grain Insects.

most important of all others, because we
are dependent upon its results for the
very stamina of life, and no subject in
relation to it is of more general interest
than the one which forms the topic Of
these remarks. The labors Of the hus-
bandman are frequently rendered abor-
tive by the ravages of tiny insects, which
devour his grain in the fields, destroy
the fruit of his toll and blast his hopes
Of an abundant harvest The two most
destructive of these insects are the Hes
sian fly and the wheat-midge, or red
weeyil The ravages of the latter have
been very destructive in some sections of
our country during the present year
The attacks of both are confined to grain
in the fields. The means which should
be employed by farmers to prevent or
mitigate their depredations are described
by the distinguished State entomologist
of New York, Dr. A. Fitch, also by
Professor Hind, Of Toronto, G. W, in
his prize essay of 1857.
There is another wheat insect which
is oftentimes very destructive to grain
in heaps, namely, the true weevil (cal-
ondra granariae) and as the crops are
now being "ga.hered into the garner"
our remarks will be chiefly confined
to it,
This weevil is a sort of small beetle,
brown in color, having a slender body,
and is about one-eighth of an inch long
The female lays her eggs in the wheat
in the granary, and a single pair will
produce six thousand descendants in one
year. The young burrow in the kernels
of the grain, consume the contents, and
leave only the shells. So secretly are
their operations conducted, that it is i'm
possible to detect them by the simple in
spection of the wheat. On throwing q
handful of the grain into bucket of
water, those attacked with the insect will
float, while the sound grains will sink,
and in this manner their presence will
be discovered. After a female weevil
has deposited an egg in grain, she
closes the puncture with glutinous sub
stance Of the same color as the husk,
hence the difficulty of detecting tho pre-
sence of this deprcdator when in its
Laroa state. As one Of these insects can
be the means of destroying six thousand
grains in storehouse in a season, some
conception will be formed of its means
Of destruction.
On the approach of very cold weather,
developed weeyils retire from the wheat
aud seek shelter in crevices, where they
remain in torpid state. They are not
50 destructive in the cold as in the warm
er sections of our country, where certain
methods for their destruction are more
urgent and necessary They avoid light,
hence, if the wheat is kept in well light
ed granaries and frequently turned over,
much will be done towards checking their
operations Authors, however, who
have devoted much attention to their
habits, have asserted that kiln drying the
wheat is the only efIectual means of de-
stroying them. 1t has also been recent
~ recommended that wheat for storing
up should be submitted to the action Of
a smut machine, to receive thorough
securing, in order to rub off the glue
with which the female conceals the pune
lures made for her eggs. The admission
Of air into these small holes, it is stated,
destroys the terminating powers Of the
eggs. It seems reasonable to us that by
submitting wheat to a securing process,
then heating it in kiln up to a temper
ature of about 1909 or 1909 Fahrenheit,
it would be completely protected from
the destructive effects of this insect in
granaries.
A correspondent of the American Far
mers' Magazine asserts that the weevil,
nudge, Hessian fly, and rust may be ex-
terminated from wheat by preparing it
for sowing, as follows: Wash The wheat
thoroughly in several waters in tub
stirring it well until the water runs off
clear. After this, take two quarts of
caustic lime to every bushel of grain,
and mix it we'll with the wet wheat in
the tub. The amount of water in the
tub should just cover the grain, which
must be left to soak for twelve hours. -
This lime I've kills all the seeds of the
insects, and the wheat is then rendered |
fit for sowing by turning it over among
dry wood ashes on the barn floor, and
using a pound of the -four of sulphur to
each bushel It is stated that the sui
phur protects the grain from the attacks
of vermin, while the alkali dissolves the
insect ova in the seed. Wheat thus pre-
pared, has yielded large crops in New
England. We have seen this grain pre-
pared for sowing by various modes. such
as salt brine, lime, and ashes, but we
like the above method better than any
hitherto known to US. Farmers residing |
in sections subject to the attacks of Hes
sion fy, who do not sow fall wheat until
October, should give this method of pre-
pairing it trial. 1t cannot iniure the
grain, and we believe it will be the
means of greatly bcnefting it.--Sciea-
tifc american
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