The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-09-26
Ghe 6arner.
THE HEssIAN FLY.

John NJ. Stahl, OF Quincy, ILLINOIS, IN
Maryland Farmer for September says:
The Hessian fly made its first appearance
in this country in l776, and two years later
it almost entirely destroyed the wheat crop
Of two or three counties of New York. 1t
soon migrated to Maryland, Virginia and
Pennsylvania. It appeared in New Eng
land in 1888 and in Michigan in 1897.
Since its first visit to the wheat fields of
this country it has visited almost every
section of the wheat area, and at least
dozen times it has done serious and wide
spread damage to our wheat crop. In some
localities it has done such damage that for
years farmers were compelled to give up
wheat growing altogether. Since 1889
it has not done great damage, until the
year just passed. The last crop was dam
aged by it, from Kansas to New York, and
in some sections the damage was quite
serious. As its most destructive visits are
usually preceded by its appearance in such
numbers as rayaged the fields the past
season, we may expect great damage to the
forthcoming crop, unless the season proves
unfayorable to it, its parasitic enemies be-
come numerous, and we take effective
measures against it.
There are two broods They first de-
post their eggs in the fall, upon the young
wheat plant In about five days they
hatch. 1t requires about four weeks for
the larvae to reach the pupa or Fsfaxseed"
state. 1t is in this state that they spend
the winter months, producing the second
brood of flies in the spring 1t is, Of
course, only the fall wheat which is dam
aged by this brood. The spring brood de-
posit their eggs in April or May, upon the
spring wheat or the barley, both of which
they seriously damage, and, when these
fail, upon the fall wheat, which, however,
they damage but little compared with the
injury done by the fall brood. Neyerthe-
less, it often appears that the greatest dam
age to the winter wheat is done by the
spring brood This was the case in New
York the past season, when it seemed that
splendid wheat was destroyed during the
three weeks preceding harvest. This was
in appearance only The fall brood had
so far weakened the plants that the work
of the spring brood proved readily fatal
AS the spring brood is produced by the fall
brood, if we get rid Of the latter we also
rid ourselves of the former.
The egg is deposited in the long creases
or burrows on the upper Gnner) side of the
leaf. When the larvae matches out it pro-
ceeds down to the base of the leaf, where
it quietly ensconses itself between the leaf
and the stalk 1t does not gnaw the stalk,
nor does it penetrate into the central cavity
thereof; but it absorbs, imbibes, the sap of
the plant This SO weakens it that it turns
yellow, and finally dies The effect is the
same as if the roots of the plant were
fatally injured. 1t is robbed of its food,
and in time starves to death.
The fly is a creature of cool, moist
climate. Heat and drought are destructive
of it. Hence it and the chinch bug never
came in conjunction. 1t is rarely, if ever,
seriously destructive after dry, hot sum-
mer and fall Hence in some localities it
need not be greatly feared the coming year,
while in some others the season has favored
it. 1t is preyed upon by several parasites,
which destroy large numbers. But it will
not do to depend upon the season and par
asites; these may aid us, but we must de-
pend mostly upon our own exertions for
the salvation of the wheat crop.
Flowing the ground deep and then roll
ing it down, though frequently recommend
ed, is Of no avail Likely it does positive
damage by taking attention and effort from
more effective measures. Some recommend
the early sowing Of strip, upon which the
flies will deposit their eggs, and it is then
destroyed But here we encounter two
difficulties get the flies to deposit their
eggs upon this strip and then to destroy all
the eggs. This cannot be recommended
Neither can early sowing and pasturing
with sheep The sheep will not get all the
larvae. In order to destroy the larvae the
plants must be cropped down so low that
they are seriously injured; while the tramp
ling of the sheep must be more or less in
furious. The only effective measure is to
defer seeding until after the season of owl
posting, which ends, in the attitudes where
the flies do the most damage, about Sep
tember 20. If the soil is fertile and the
seed-bed is well prepared, and if plump seed
is used the plants will make sufficient
growth before the winter sets in. Gener-
ally seeding may be delayed until there is
moderately heavy frost, which will insure
the safety of the wheat.