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

brood appearing during august and the
early part Of September, and laying
about thirty eggs on the leaves Of the
young winter wheat.
2. Inc eggs hatch in about four days
after they are laid. Several OF the mag
gots or larvae make their way down to
the sheathinq base Of the leaf, and re-
main between the base Of the leaves and
stem near roots, causing the stalktO swell
ana the plant to turn yellow and die.
by the end Of November or from thirty
to forty days after the wheat is sOWn
they assume the flaEseed state, and
may, on removing the lower leaves be
found little brown, oval cylindrical,
smooth bodies little smaller than
grams OF rice. They remain IN the
Wheab until warm weather; IN april the
larYa rapidly transforms into the pupa
within IT'S daXseed skin, the f1y emery
ing from Its case about the end Of April.
The eggs laid by this first or spring brood
OF nles soon hatch, the second brood of
maggOLs i've but q few weeks the HaZ-
seed state IS soon assumed and the Au-
tumn or second brood Of flies appear in
August. In some cases there may be
two Autumn brOOds, the earliest (Au-
gust brood giving rise to 2 third set of
flies in September.
8. There are several destructive ich-
neumOn parasites Of the Hessian fly,
whose combined attacks are supposed at
times to destroy about u;ne-tenths Of all
the flies attached. OF these the most
important is the Chalcid, ur-Winged fly,
SenllOtcLtLS Instructor Shown IN the plate
at y, which infests the faxseed, and a
small parasite of the genus PI0tggd8tsr
4. By sowing a part of the wheat early,
and if affected by the fly, blowing this
IN and sowing the rest after September
20, the wheat crop in most cases can be
saved. 1t should be remembered that
the first brood should be mus circum-
vented or destroyed in order that a
second or Spring brood may not appear.
3. If the wheat be only partially affect
ed, it may be saved by fertilizers and
careful cultivation; or a badly damaged
field Of Winter wheat may thus be recu-
perated in the Spring.
6. Pasturing with sheep, and conse-
quent close cropping of the wheat in No
Vember and early December may cause
many Of the eggs larvae and hax-seeds
to be destroyed; also, rolling the ground
may have nearly the same effect.
z. Sowing hardy varieties. The Under
hill Mediterranean wheat, and especially
the Lancaster variety, which tIlIers Wig
orously, should be sOWn in preference to
the slighter, less vigorous kinds, in a re-
sLOA L1uCn 4L4oSICu ny TIC n.y. Lie early
(August) soWn wheat Ito be ploWed under
afterWards), might be Diehl; the later
sOWn, Lancaster, ClaWsOn or Fultz.
8. Ofspecial remedies the use of lime,
SCOT or salt may be recommended; also,
raking of the stubble; but too close cut
ting Ofthe wheat and burning the stubble
are Of doubtful use, as this destroys the
useful parasites as well as the flies.
To those recommendations Of the Ma
tiOnal commission the writer would add
another, based upon the suggestions of
two Of our correspondents, viz: To reduce
to a minimum the amount of volunteer
wheat. This serves as a convenient place
of deposit for the eggs of the summer
brood Of the fly and thereby through a
possible third brood communicate the
pest to the later soWn wheat of the regu-
lar crop. This reduction can be made by
changing the wheat lands at least as often
as once in two years. The destruction
Of the volunteer wheat, and the post
pOnement Of the fall sowing so that the
wheat plant may not come above the
ground until after the first frosts have
killed the fly, will constitute the best
safeguard against future damages from
this source.
The accompanying plate illustrates the
various stages in the life history of the
Hessian fly and one of its principal para
sites.