The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-12-01
OH Sarmer,
The Hossian Fly in Wheat,


The farmers Of New York are becoming
seriously alarmed at the appearance Of the
Ay in their wheat. A correspondent Of
the New York Times writes
"Winter wheat here is turning yellow,
and on examination about the LIST Of Dc
tober We found an insect about an eighth
Of an inch long near the root (Hessian fly,
presume) Now, the insect is brown
and looks like seed of some kind. Win
it do any more damage this year2 VIII
it turn to fly and do damage in spring ?
viii wheat that was sowed late this fall
and has none in it be troubled with them
in spring. Please give its manner of
operating from September LIST till next
year, and oblige."
The insect described is this destructive
pest, now in what is called its haxseed
condition. Much Of the damaged wheat
viii die this fall, and more viii break down
when in the straw about caring time next
year. Late sowu wheat viii escape. In
the spring the wheat plant is too far grown
to be injured. We would suggest that a
top-dressing Of two hundred pounds per
acre Of sulphate Of soda (glaubcrsalts, }
ground very fine, or common salt, be sown
on the wheat in dry weather. The maggot
is driven away by SCOT; the soda salts is
is bitter enough and may be as effective
as the SCOT If our wheat were affected
we should try it.
The subject was also before the Elmira
Club, as we learn from the HusbdadmdR
II was remarked that present appearances
indicate serious loss in the next wheat
crop, through the rayages of this pest,
against which there seems to be no certain
means Of prevention.
President Hoffman said The Hessian
fly deposits its eggs on the leaf soon after
tho wheat comes up, and later if the opera
tons are not checked by frost When the
plants are strong, as they should be on
good ground aud in a growing season,
such as this, the injury effected by the
Larvae is less, | suppose, than it would be
to weak plants. find in my wheat the
injury is greater in plants that came up
early than in later ones. | believe we
cannot prevent the mischief this fall; and
think it is not Of so much consequence
rs that which viii be inflicted next spring.
The habit Of the fly is to lay the eggs in
the fall, from which the present trouble
has come. In the spring these larvae win
develop into the perfect fly, aud there
will be new crop Of eggs to hatch and
work greater mischief. How that eau be
prevented / do not know. 1t is certain
that the wheat is endangered. In looking
over my field short time ago | found on
pulling up stools that some stalks were un-
touched and others were already nearly
destroyed Ipulled one stool with three til
lers, one Of which was dead; another had
fourteen Of the Larvae imbedded in it, and
the remaining was uninjured Another
stool had two stalks, and / believe there
were fifty Of the pests in them, although l
did not count On this field, where wheat
was sowed after wheat, | thought the
plants infested worse were those which
had come from the seed dropped from the
last crop The land was plowed just after
harvest and cultivated well afterward, but
it is probable that the scattering seed from
the crop had not all grown until the final
sowing, and that it was then in condition
to appear earlier and to be attacked first
by the fly. 1t is said that late sowing is
better than early in seasons when the fly
is troublesome, but in such a season as
this even late sowed wheat makes enough
top to take damage. | found eggs depos-
tied on the leaves while the larvae we're at
work below.