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

entirely killed"
J.W. Williams, Cope, Jack son equity;
II have heard but little complaint ia our
county Of deDredations on the wheat
plant. in some few fields in early
planted wheat the Hessian fly did some
Work-in a few instances sufficient TO
cause reseeding. But the fly has made
its appearance in our county, and no
doubt VIII be q pest TO the farmer in
years to come"
A. ii. MGLain, Newton, Harvey County;
1Ihe Hessian fly is engaging the atten-
ton Of the farmers of Harvey county at
present more than any other insect that
is mOlestlng the wheat in the fields and
IN fact i think 1t is the only insect doing
any material damage to the crop at pres
ent. The Hessian fly has not been num-
erOus enough in this part of the State
until the past FAN to do any noticeable
damage, but at present some fields have
enough to materially damage the COM
ing crop unless something takes place to
destroy them"
W. E. A. Meek, Dillon, Dickinson
county: cit is currently reported that
there are some fields damaged by
Hesslan dy. / have seen none, but am
inclined to believe the report is well
founded. 1 have but little doubt they
have been induced by the very early
teer wheat in our State, the result Of
following wheat with wheat indefinitely.
Break up this practice and SOW clover,
timothy, fall meadow, oats, grass, or any
thing which VIII make a sod or turf and
stop sowing earlier than September Is
and we viii have but little trouble. This
is all the secret there is to it. Pasturing
closely with sheep during falland winter
is good also"
ii. Springer, NeWb bern, Dickinson coun-
ty: "Ihe Hessian fly did considerable
damage to the wheat crop of this county
the past season. They are now quite
plentiful IN the haX-seed state in the
wheat sOWn last fall. Except the fly the
last season has been unusually free from
insect depredatiOns."
The foregoing extracts are fair samples
Of the reports received from the TWENTY
one counties infested by the Hessian fly.
The first attack Of the enemy has not
been so much In the nature of a deter
mined onset, as Of a general armed recon
nOlsanCe in varying num- ers at different
points along the line. The invading
army Is now resting upon its arms and
waiting the arrival Of achievements
with the opening Of spring. The extent
OF their relnfOrcements viii depend
lagelyupOn the meteorological conditions
present time and the harvest. These re-
Inducements viii in reality constitute an
army Of substitutes, and viii consist of
the second brood of the fly. The indi-
Viduals now in a Qui6scent condition in
the lower joints of the wheat plant in
the sO-called " fax-seed" state, will In
early spring complete their cycle of trans
formations and emerge as winged flies
The females Of this final form will again
dnnnETf thnfva
the wheat plants about the LIST of April,
and If the season be sufficiently moist
the young larvae viii find the
conditions necessary for their successful
development and the damage to the
crop will reach its maximum. If. how
ever, the months of March and April
shall prove exceptionally dry and hot,
the damage to the wheat crop of 1885
will be reduced to a minimum and
hardly will be worthy of remembrance.
The necessary uncertainty Of a result
thus dependent upon meteorological con-
ditions impossible to be predicted can
not afford some anxiety in the infested
districts and will certainly Justify those
who are holding 1884 wheat in cOntinu-
ing to withhold their wheat from mar
ket until more satisfactory price can
be obtained.
A brief glance at the history of the
Hesian fly in the United States is sufi-
Gent to convince the most skeptical
reader that no pains should be spared to
prevent It's finding a permanent home in
Kansas. AS long ago as 1888, according
to Packard, the wheat crop about Tren-
ton New jersey, was in many cases a
total failure. AS wheat was at that pc
Rod exported to Great Britain In large
quantities., accounts of the appalling
havoc that this insect was making ex-
cited the attention Of the Government
there and aroused their fears lest so
dreadful a scOurge should be introduced
into that country by means of the Am
erican grain. As a result, the exporta-
ton or grain from America was prohib-
tied until the English Government was
assured that the fly with eggs could not
be introduced IN the grain. AS long AGO
as 1900 DR.. l.. l.. Mitchell, of New York
affirmed that the insect was more for
midable than would be an army Of 20. 900
Hesslans-" In 1913 great havoc was com
mitted IN many fields in MARYLAND and
Virginia. In the following year it did
much injury IN Northern Indiana and
illinois and the contiguous parts of
Michigan and Wisconsin, in many cases
Occas1OnIng almost a total failure of the
crops. In Michigan the wheat crop was
almost an entire failure. On Long Island,
at Rochester, n. Y, and throughout
Pennsylvania, the losses this year
were severe; the following year
it did more or less injury all
over the State of Illinois, while
in the central parts of Maryland the
crops IN many instances were rendered
worthless. In Georgia, moreover, its
rayages IN the counties around Milledge-
vile are said to have been disastrous;
whole fields were totally destroyed and
others yielded not more than a fourth Of
an ordinary crop. In 1916, In the upper
counties of Georgia it was said the fly
had committed such ravages upon the
wheat as scarcely to leave enough seed
for another year. Throughout the State
of New York it was destructive this year;