Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-07-12
MlDGE.

j.. b. Lewis Esq, of Lawrenceburg,
who has given the subject considerable
attention, thus communicates to the Press
Of that city, concerning the insect that
has destroyed much Of the wheat:
Mr.. Editor,-In the report of the Com
missioner Of Agriculture at Washington
City for the year 1862, in reference to the
"midge," | find the following remarks:
"With this insect have no personal
acquaintance, but the census report oil
1860 tells its dcstructiveness in N. Y, in
the greatly decreased wheat product OF
that State. Tn 1850 it produced 1921
49S bushels, and in 1900 but 6,6Sl 100
bushels"
There appears to be difference between
writers on the character of this insect, but
Mr.. Asa Fitch, OF New York, must be re-
garded as the best authority, from his
personal inspection of ID, and from his
thorough knowledge of whatever relates
to the injurious or beneficial insects Of the
farm. In his report to the State Board
of Agriculture, of New York, it isotated
that although il was not before known in
this country, yet it suddenly appeared
over many portions Of the New England
States and New York, and that this was
accounted for by the remarkable prolific
character Of the insect. 1t commences &c
bear when but three days old, and produces
four young daily. Thus, in twenty day,
the progeny Of single Nudge is upward,
Of four millions 1t has existed in Eu.
rope, and is there mentioned as depositine
its eggs in the soft grain Of the wheat il
the months Of June and July, but her,
he says II is on the field always sucking
out the juice Of the young plants, causing
them to wither and die. As yet he hat
peen unable to find n male among them
Seemingly, oil appear to be females, ant
that il has no natural enemy in this coup.
try (and now please mark the enterprise
Of New York farmers.) The New YorI
State Agricultural Society has imported
their enemies with the hope Of diminish
ing the ravages Of this noxious insect
In one particular il is different from othel
insects. Dry weather, he says, is favora
BILE for their existence and reproduction
but unfsvorable for tho Nudge. 1t no
only attacks the cereals, but the grapes
also and hence If grain production wal
abandoned for some years it would not
tend to diminish the number of this do
structive insect.
In Mr.. Klippart's Essay, ! find IL de-
scribed as q small yellow fly which appears
about the middle Of June, and during tho
early parts Of the evenings deposits egg
on the heads of the Wheat just before i
blooms, and when il begins TO open III
covering Of leaves. When the larvae ar.
Matched they are white, but soon turr
yellow and live on the juices destined e
gil the grain, which they appropriate either
wholly or partially TO themselves. When
their growth is attained, they spring of
the head TO the ground and pass into the
earth at the root Of the plant, where they
remain until transformed into the fly
No remedy has been found against it:
destructiveness, except by means Of the
propagation Of its natural enemy. This
is dark fly that deposits its eggs within
that of the. Nudge as in the case of one Of
the enemies of the Hessian fly The
worms Matched from these live within and
upon the larv ~ of the Nudge, but do n OF
effect their destruction until they have
left the Wheat heads and descend to the
earth.
Will our State or any Of our County
Agricultural Societies import the enemies
Of the Nudge so as to rid Indiana of this
formidable destroyer Of our Wheat crops2
l.. Ii. LEWIS.