Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-09-23

those who sympathize with you and
your ideas. H. H. S.
THE HEssIAN FLY IN WHEAT.
This insect, which is very abun-
dant in Pennsylvania, is often
known IS the sly" or the "wheat
hy." 1t is responsible for a large
amount of loss each year, often de-
stroying one-quarter of the crop,
and is particularly injurious in the
wet seasons.
LIFE HISTORY.
There are two broods of this in
sect this year. The winged fly ap-
pears in August and September, and
for the young winter
wheat to lay its eggs on, and places
them on the leaf blades, anywhere
from one to thirty on a blade. In
four or five days the eggs hatch and
the young maggots crawl down the
blade, enter the sheath and pass
down TO the joint. Here they stay,
sucking the juice from the plant un-
til about the end of November,
when they turn brown, and harden.
This is called the flax-seed stage. In
this condition they pass the winter.
In the Spring, about the middle or
end of April, they change to the full
grown form, the winged fly. These,
at once begin to lay their eggs as
before, and the history as already
giver for the fall brood is repeated ;
the flies from this brood, appearing
in August and September to lay
their eggs on the winter wheat
This, in brief, 10 the history of the
Hessian fly.
TREATMENT.
From what has been given it is
plain that there is no treatment of
the seed which will do any good
nor is spraying of any possible use
Treatment here must be in other
lines.
The best thing to do for the pro
lection of the wheat ftom the fly is
I. Plant small piece of whea'
early in August so that it will come
up early, and be found by the fiiei
when looking for a place to lay
their eggs. This piece will, o.
course, be full of maggots later
About the end of September plov
this under, and do not use thu
GROUND, for 5Mbeat TIT the hs.,ne ,nextl In Iveaaar az;
their eggs in this early wheat and a.
they die after egg laying, few will
be left.
2. Do not plant the wheat (ex
cept the small piece just spoken of
until about September goth by tina
time almost every fly will have died
and there will be none left to lay
their eggs when that wheat comes
up.
There is tendency in Pennsyl
vania, as well as elsewhere, for th,
farmer to get his sowing done lit
tie earlier than the year before
This is directly favorable to the fly
Wheat sown as late as Septembe
goth will make growth enough s,
that it will not wlnter-kill, and thi
method has been tried in States far
ther north than Pennsylvania foI
many years with success.
3. Some kinds of wheat are less at
tackled by the fly than others. Roll
ing the field, with a heavy roller
when the fields are smooth and free
from stones, about the first of Oct
ober, is of value in some cases
Letting sheep Craze on the fields al
soon as two or three blades from
each root appear, also helps, th'
sheep eating the eggs of the fly ,along
with the leaves. Crops on poor
land usually suffer most hence the
use of fertilizers to enrich the soil,
aids in keeping down the insect.
4. Where the fly is already il
the wheat, cutting a little higher
than usual aud blowing the stubble
under at once, will kill the insects
before they have changed to the
winged stage. Burning the stubblC
is also beneficial at this time.
SUMMARY.
The fly must be killed or starved
To kill as many as possible, plant
small piece early, as a trap fol
the fly to lay its eggs on, than plow
it under and thus kill the eggs from
which the spring brood comes.
To starve the fly do not plant un-
til September 20. so that the fly will
die before it can find any wheat tC
lay its eggs on.
If both these methods are used
to. ether and if all who raise wheat
in any region will work together
to do this. but little trouble from
the pest should occur.
Many farmers in the State are
following this plan already and