Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-02-07
- 90 Ipturlous 10 vVheat.

By Prof F. H. Snow, Of the State University, En-.
tomOlogist TO the State Board of Agriculture.
An accurate knowledge of the insects
Injurious to our most valuable "small
grain" will undoubtedly increase the
number of species now known to infest
it. 1t was a surprise to entOmOlogists as
well as fruit growers when Mr.. Lintner,
the New York State entOmOlOgist, pre-
sented list Of 176 insects known to
commit depredations upon the apple
tree. A similar surprise Will follow a
full enumeration Of the wheat insects.
DR.. Fitch, writing thirty years ago of the
obstacle 30 wheat production in New
York, makes the following statements:
have the present season discovered
small flies in abundance in every wheat
field in my neighbOrhood. On sweep
ing with net anywhere among growing
wheat a multitude Of them will be gath
cred. They are of several different
kinds. One of these species was so
abundant the latter part Of June that at
almost every step in any part of our
wheat FIELDS q dozen or more could be
seen. I doubt not it is from the num-
Der of these and other depredators
which abound upon our wheat, that we
are no longer able to produce
such crops of the grain as were uni
formly harvested formly when our
lands we're newly cleared. How is it
possible for wheat to grow with any
thriftiness when it it necessarily assailed
by such hosts of these enemies, bleeding
it at every pore2 OF the above flies, DR.
Fitch names and describes nine species,
all found upon wheat in wheat fields, ex-
cept one which was reared from larvae,
crawling in immense numbers from un-
thrashed wheat n a barn. OF the other
eight species nothing has been published
of their depredations, habits or trans
aHHr ~ che ~
err IN accepting them as serious pests
which are annually levying no inconsid-
cradle tax upon our wheat crops. (See
Lintner's First Annual RepOrt.) 1t is
true that not all the New York wheat
insects have yet reached the borders of
Kansas
Fortunately our State, by reason of its
rapid settlement and its wide separation
from the older and most thoroughly in
sect-ridden States, has hitherto enjoyed a
comparative immunity from many Of the
most destructive insect pests. But this
favorable condition cannot much longer
continue. Unless rigid quarantine be
established against these species which
may be surely kept out by this method
and unless vigorous measures are en-
forced for the stamping out of other spe-
cies upon their first appearance in any
neighbOrhood, our farmers and fruit
growers must submit to the inevitable,
and prepare to abandon their prominent
position among the grain growers and
fruit raisers of America.
It is not the purpose of the present pa
per to furnish an abstract discussion of
wheat insects in general, but to briefly
consider those species which have been
most prominent in Obstructive opera
tions during the year 1884. Happily the
chinch-bug, until now the foremost foe of
the small-grain producer, has not injured
the wheat tOany considerable degree, only
two counties reporting its presence in
numbers worthy of notice. In the Arlzan-
sas valley, Reno county reports the crop
damaged 10 to Is per cent, and in the
southeast, Labette county two per cent.
The abundant rainfall of the year was
unfaVOrable to the excessive multiplied
ton of this. insect Nor has any report
been received of injury from the genuine
army worm. Le7leGniG tln5DuIlctial The
Fall army worm, however, an entirely
diferentspecies (the LapbygalG trlsgiperda
OF Riley has made It's presence felt IN sew
eral counties. notably in Jefferson, Leav-
enWorth, Douglas and Labette. The
Weev1 is reported as doing considerable
damage in Stafford, Summer and CoWley
counties, especially to wheat In the stack
and IN the private bins and granaries Of
the producers before il is delivered to the
Wholesaie buyers at the various shipping