The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1878-01-17
Ths Hessian Fly.

HIGH PRAIRIE, December z, 1877.
ED. TIMES This insect takes its
name f,om the supposition that it was
brought to this country in some straw
by the Hessian troops during, the rev.
dictionary war; it was first seen near
the place of debarkation of these
troops, on Staten Island, and spread
inland at the rate of twenty miles
year. So great were its ravages that
in 1897 the cultivation of wheat was
abandoned in many places. Minute
parasites preying upon the eggs, larva,
and pupa, destroy great proportion
of every generation of the Hessian
fly. Lately, we hear from many quar-
tiers, that wheat fields are again in
tested with this pest TO a great degree.
The body of the insect is about one
tenth of an inch long, the head, an
tenae, thorax and feet, black, the hind
body is tawny, marked with black on
each wing, and with fine gray hairs;
the legs pale red or brownish, and the
wings blackish. 1t generally natures
two broods in the course OF the year,
appearing in the spring and autumn.
The pale red eggs are laid lengthwise
in the creases OF spring and winter
wheat, to the number of twenty and
thirty on a leaf. Soon after the plant
is above the ground, in four or five
days, if the weather is warm, the eggs
are Matched and the Larvae crawls
down the leaf to the main stalk, then
they fix themselves just above the
ground, head downward; there they
await the transformation, nourishing
themselves on the juices of the plant
which they obtain by suction. In
about six weeks the full size is attain
ed, when the skin turns bright chest
nut color, and gradually hardens. In
the beginning of this, the pupa state,
they resemble haxseed, in form. In
from sixteen to twenty lays the insect
within loosens itself from the leathery
skin and lies in it motionless grub
here it gradually advances toward the
winged state, and breaks through
about the first of May. The perfect
insects are very active, although small
rnd fly considerable distances in search
of grain. Severe remedies are best,
and when they are in the fax-seed
state the wheat must be destroyed
this can be done by ploughing it under
deeply, which will bury the flies be-
yond the power of extricating them
selves; this is not so costly plan as
allowing the Hesslans to mature, for
not only is the crop lost, but the field
becomes a center Of infection for the
whole country. In the early stages Of
the attack, before the eggs are Matched
it is a good plan to turn the csttle into
the field, and allow them to Craze it
down; the wheat also may be mown
before the eggs are Matched either
plan will keep the Larvae out of the
crown of the plants. Intelligent farm
ing aud proper rotation of crops,
would in a great measure do away
with this insect. A careless farmer,
who goes year after year raising wheat
and thus providing the enemy with
food, not only suffers himself, but OBJ
liges his neighbors TO pay for his own
bad farming. Many of the eggs laid |
by the spring brood are left in the
stubble and remain unchanged until |
the following spring. 1t is but to burn
the stubble in wheat, rye, and barley |
fields, where the fly has appeared, and |
afterward plow deeply. Sleeping the |
grain, rolling it in plaster or lime, and
sowing the fields with wood ashes, or
any other methods of securing arapid
and vigorous growth are useful.
G.. W. SEYMOUR.