Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-06-25
rha Mhent Crop and the wheat NIlds

The Wheat crop ana the WheuI hi"SO'
The few wheat fields that we have seen in
this section OF Maine look extremely well
thus far. They are all of the spring wheat
variety, and were sowed rather late. Whether
they are destined to be all deyoured by the
"midgei OF @weevil" =" as II is called, will soon
be determined. Hitherto this apparently in
siouifeant insect has haffled all the. art and
skill Of the farmer, and come off triumphant.
The variations in the temperature and mois-
ture, and other conditions of the seasons have
had more or less effect upon 1t. As the
weather has been warm and pleasant for the
last three or four weeks, and therefore favor
able for the development of the crysalis in its
progress of changing to the perfect or ny
state it would not be surprising II there
should he an abundance of them in our wheat
folds this season; and if so, will, as in years
past, do immense mischief. rr
They have in q comparative sense, fairly
driven our farmers from the field, and mill
lions and millions Of dollars would not re-
pair the damage they have hitherto done, or
make good the losses they have occasioned in
Maine alone. Thirty years ago, wheat was
among the surest and easiest crops our farm
ers could raise. Smut and rust were the only
enemies this crop had to encounter The
first was prevented by thoroughly cleansing
the seed before sowing it, and the latter by
sowing early. 81 .rs
rave most of the material facts which have
been discovered in regard to the natural his
tory of this scourge to the wheat grower,
accompanied with engravings illustrative OF
its different stages of growth. AS far as the
mere history or facts of the several changes
the midge undergoes, from the egg to the ty
state, the researches OF those who have un-
dertaken it have been pretty thorough. The
sum of it is, that the parent fly lays the egg
A., -Aotf of t1a xrrba 1af
il there matches a small worm, or nlaggot,
about the time the kernel Of the wheats get
into the milk state--that this worm pumps
out thetmilk and pieces of the kernel for its
food, and thereby prevents its filling and ma
turing--that the worm, having got its growth
either descends to the earth and forms cry
sails, or oftentimes remains in the chaf OF
the wheat and rolls itself up into crysalis
state--that it remains in this crysalis state in
the ground, or in and among the chaf and
straw of the wheat, until the succeeding sea.
con, when it comes out in the fly state and
commences depositing its eggs in the bios
somiug wheat as heretofore. Some say, how.
ever, that the worm, or maggot, does no,
form the crysals, or ''pupa," as it is called
until the June following, but remains, in Z
dormant condition until then. Whether II
does or does not, is not very material to the
question of its ravages and the prevention o
them. It has been found, we believe, to b'
the case that they are much more abundan
in field of wheat sown on ground occupied
by wheat the year previous.
We have never heard of any experiment
tried upon the soil with view of destroying
the dormant worm, or crysalis, while it is i
the earth, and hardly know what cours
could be pursued which would destroy o
hislodge them from their winter quarters
fit were certain that they bury themselve
not more than an inch in depth, it is proba
bic that burning the surface over might de
stroy some, if not all of them; but this woul'
incur heavy expense in many cases, and il
some locations be almost impossible.
With the exception of studying the change
which this insect undergoes, and giving
technical description of its external appear
ance and its distinctive marks, little ha
been done. More time and research are re
quired in regard to 1t, in order to enable u
to war against 1t with more success than ha
been hitherto had.
We ought to know how low temperatur
the worm, or crysalis, can undergo and live
We ought to know for a certainty whethe
the worm, or maggot, can live on any othe
substance than the pieces of unripe grain; OF
in other words, whether the instincts of tn
parent fly direct it to deposit its eggs in an
other plant than grain. Some contend this
il is found in clover and some other plant
while others say that the clover worm
entirely different. We ought TO kno'
whether the parent fly is capable of lon
extended flights, or whether it is confined I
the immediate neighborhood of it's birth. !
short, we ought to know many more of il
manners and customs its likes and dislike
than we now do, before we can be prepare
10 ward or prevent its attacks successful,
II is battle with him for bread, and hitl
erto "midge" has beaten us.-Haine Farne