The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-10-08
Wheat and the llcssian Fly.

The insect known by the common
hame of Hessian fly is widely dis
tributed pest. and is sometimes so
abundant over certain regions that
farmers are compelled to abandon the
cultivation of wheat. II has been
known for over century, and, while
first discovered attacking wheat near
this city, il is now found almost every
where, from Maine TO Kansas, and will
probably, sooner or later, appear in all
the whcat-grow regions OF the United
States. AS early as lis it almost to-
tally destroyed the wheat crop in east
ern ong Island ana there has been
scarcely Il season since in which the in
sect has not appeared in some one or
more places, seriously iniuring the
crop, and sometimes destroying the
plants for several years in succession,
and then suddenly disappearing as
mysteriously as it came.
The Hessian fly is two-winged in
sect, and belongs to group Of minute
flies which are all more or less injurious
10 plants. There are several species
known to be destructive to cultivated
plants, but this wheat pest is probably
the worst Of the family. 1t is double
brooded, one brood appearing late in
the summer. and the other early in the
spring, but the summer or fall brood is
generally the most destructive. The
flies come in August and September.
and deposit their eggs upon the young
wheat plants very soon after they APP
pear above ground. The eggs hatch in
week or ten days, and the grubs
crawl down the leaf and feed upon the
stalk, causing it to wither and die.
The early spring brood attacks the
wheat in the same way, but the plants
often outgrow the injury at this season.
The presence of the Hesslan fly in a
wheat field is soon made apparent by
the number of plants that turn yellow
and die, and if .hese are examined the
grubs, or the bright chestnut-colored
pupn which resemble a small ilaxseed,
will be found imbedded in the crown of
the plant. or within the folds of the
leaves, Various remedies and proven
tl't5 NAVE DtcH Dul all ldIl III
some seasons while successful in others.
Late sowing, or after the flies have
been killed BY frosts, is quite COM
monty practiced in the Northern States,
and By many farmers is considered the
best preventive. Entomologists who
have closely studied the habits Of this
insect recommend late sowing, even at
the risk of having the wheat injured by
the frosts and cold Of winter. In our
more Northern States, wheat sown
about September % will not usually
appear above ground before October !,
at which time the lilies will have mostly
disappeared. OF course there are eX-
ceptons to this rule, and if the weather
happens to be very warm during Sep
TEMPER, the flies may live and deposit
their eggs on thu wheat plants in Octo-
Der, but they will not be very unbund-
ant In the report of the "Ohio Agri-
cultural Experimental Station for
1883, we find the following very prac-
teal suggestions in regard to the best
tine for sowing winter wheat In order
10 escape the attacks of the fly:
winter wheat may be sowed too
early in the season or it may be sowed
too late, so there must be certain
time. neither too early nor too late.
Many factors must be considered in
designating the best time to SOW, The
condition of the soil, and exposure, the
presence of the Hessian fly, etc, must
all be duly considered. The best time
for sowing wheat in Central Ohio is
from September 10 to September 80. y
In few instances very earl y sown
wheat is reported ohave been less in
jured by the fly than when sown in the
intermediate or late season. and 1t is
supposed that the reason of it was that
while the fly attacked it, the plants
were growing so rapidly that they es-
capped serious injury. But where early
sown wheat has escaped only less in
jured than late, it may be considered
as an exception to the rule, and where
the fly is about farmers should put oil
sowing their winter wheat until there
have been a few light frosts or at least
utilize cool nights,--N \. San.