Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-09-09

ent from the former, the female depositing
her eggs in the heads Of wheat while it is
IN blossom. The eggs hatch in eight to
ten days, the maggots feeding upon the
pollen, also sucking the Juices Of the
young, soft kernels and causing them to
| shrivel. After reaching maturity the
gruDs descend to the ground, forming
minute, thin cocoons within which they
pass the winter, appearing again in time
TO attack the wheat when in bloom. These
Cecldomyias are very small, winged
flles, but they have natural enemies in still
more minute species of four-winged flies
belonging to the genus Platygastes Were
1t not for the latter we fear our farmers
would soon have to abandon wheat-culture
altogether; but as the nudge increases its
natural enemy also has an opportunity of
multiplying; occasionally, however, the
wheat-destroyers appear to get the advan.
tage for few years at least, but their enc
mics soon become strong enough in num-
bers to overpower and destroy them.
There is still another insect which is
sometimes very injurious to growing
wheat. 1t is generally referred to as the
jointworm," from the appearance Of the
maggots in or near the joints on the stems
of the wheat. When abundant great
numbers of the wheat. stalks die and break
down soon after the heads appear The
name of the species which attack wheat is
Eur0tynad hOrdei-Harris.
Another species attacks rye in a similar
manner; another barley; and, as the pupe
OF all of them remain in the dry straw
during winter, the best method of check
ing their ravages is to burn over the stub
bic in the fall and see that all the straw
from which the grain is threshed is either
fed out to stock or rotted down in the
barn-yard before warm weather in the fol-
lowing spring.
After wheat is threshed and put away in
the bins it is not safe from the attacks of
insects. Perhaps the most common and
destructive kind in this country is the red
grain weevil (SttophtIus granar5us). 1t is
| a small beetle of ptchy red color, and
attacks wheat after it is stored, eating out
the inside of the kernel; hence it is not
easily detected except by handling te
grain or submitting it to a slight pressure,
the shell readily breaking when touched
This weevil is sometimes exceedingly nu-
merous about old barns in the Middle
States, and considerable care is necessary
to preserve seed-wheat in good condition
for sowing. Infested barns should be well
cleanSed every season before new grain is
put in, even to tumigating with burning
sulphur, as well as busting the cracks
about the bins with the same substance.
a closely allied species of weevil
S-oryzea, attacks rice as well as wheat in
the Southern States 1t differs from the
former in having two large red spots on
each elytron, and is of a dark brown or
black color. 1t is generally known as the
black weevil." There are other species
of weevil which intest wheat, besides nu-
merous moths and flies, and it would be
well for our farmers to pay more attention
to these pests and not only learn how TO
recognize the different species, but learn
what is known of their habits, and how
best to destroy them. The longer such
things are neglected the more abundant
they are likely to become, and it is quite
frequently the case that few dollars in
vested in chronological works, and few
evenings spent in reading them, would
save a farmer hundreds of dollars annual
Ivy. Y. San.