Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-29
THE HESSIAN FLY.
An INVESTIGATION OF ITS DEPRE-
DATIoNs IN CALIFORNIA,
history and Description Of the Invading
Enemy = The Remedies and
Action Recommended.

Written for the RBcoRp-UsIoS by Matthew Cooke,
late Chief Executive Horticulture officer Of Cali
fornia
This insect, which has been such a
scourge in nearly every wheat. growing dis.
trict in the United States east of the Rocky
Mountains, has gained foothold in one of
the wheat.growing districts of this State,
which, to say the least, is a subjec. worthy
of the serious consideration of wheat.
growers. DR.. S. l.. Mitchell, of New
York, writing of the damage done by the
Hessian fly in the commencement Of the
present century, affirmed that cit is more
formidable to US than would be an army of
5000 Hessians, or of any other 20, 600
hirelings supplied with all the implements
OF war;" OF the various insect pests which
have infested the grain fields of this coun.
try, there is no other which has received so
much attention from the newspapers, agri-
cultural magazines and scientific journals,
as the Hessian fly. Indeed, the apsce as
signed to the description of this species
may be said 10 be so voluminous that. if it
could be collected, it would make a large
library.
WHERE IT CAME FROM.
At the present time, as but little is
known of its natural hist Try in this State.
the aim of this article will be in part to
extrac. information from the various &C.
counts which have been published in rela-
ton to this pest in the older States, and, in
addition, to give such information as has
been learned of its appe srance and spread
IN California. AS to whether this pest is
! indigenous to this country has occssioned
great deal of discussion. However, it is
generally conceded to be an Importation
from Europe, Itwas introduced on Staten
Island and Long Island, n. Y, by the
Hessian and Waldecker soldiers, who ar
rived at Staten Island on the Ssh of Au-
gust, lI76. direct from Hesse Cassel. and
on the 26 h were sent to Flatbush, Long
Island General Howe had selected that
part of Long Island ION account of its fer.
tility in wheat and all other corn, and was
deemed almost equal alone TO the mainten-
ance of an army" As this insect was un-
known in this country anterior to the Rev.
olutionary War, and from the manner in
which it was introduced 10y the Hessisn
soliiers) it received the popular name of
the Hessian fly.
ITS SPREAD IN THIS COUNTRY.
The following dates represent the years
in which it fret appeared in the following
States l776 to 1855. New York 1856,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania 1890, Del.
aware and Maryland 1897, first appear
suce west of the Allegheny Mountains
1901, Virginia 1915. Canada 1888, Con-
nectcut 1910, North Carolinl and Ohio
1913, Michigan 1874. Indiana, Illinois,
Wisconsin and Iowa 1915, Georgia $780,
Vermont 1852, Maine; 1860 Minnesota
1868, Tennessee 1869, Missouri 1870
Kentucky; 1871, Kansas, West Virginia
and South Carolina 1872, Arkansas 1876,
Texas 1873 or 1879, California.
From what is written of the Hessisn fly,
it may be said that wheat districts attacked
by it are wholly destroyed within a year
or two after its appearance, and that it
continues its depredations for several
years, when it disappears from the local
ity, but is liable to reappear at any time.
Fer instance, the State of New York was
nearly free from this pest from 1903 to
1910, from 1910 TO 1917, from 1877 to 1881,
from 1881 to 1885, from 1886 to 1910, from
lS47 to lS49, from 1850 to 1854 from 1854
to 1871, from 1871 to 1877. The years
that the greatest damage was done lin New
York State were 1879, 1917, 1915, 1916,
IS47 and 1877.
DESCRIPTION OF THIS FLY PEST.
The Hessian fly belongs to the Order
Diptera. and family Tipulede, and is a
diminutive species, resembling the crane
flies or daddy-long, legs. 1t was first de.