The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-09-15
TIE HESSIAN FLY IN WHEAT.

, (Cectd0myid DesTuctOr. CayJ
,, This insect, which is very abund.
; ant in Pennsylvania, is often known
5 as the "hy" or the "wheat fly" II
} is responsible for large amount OF
, loss each year, often destroying one
quarter of the crop and is particu-
, larly injurious in wet seasons.
, LIFE HISTORY.
, There are two broods of this in
sect each year. The winged fly
appears in August and September,
and searches for the young winter
wheat to lay its eggs on, and places
them on the leaf blades, anywhere
from one to thirty on 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 until about the end of Novem-
ber, when they turn down, and
harden. This is called the Aax-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 given for the fall
? brood is repeated; the flies from this
! brood, appearingin August and Sep
3 tember to lay the eggs on the winter
; wheat. This, in brief, is the life
, 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
r norris spraying of any possible use
Treatment here must be in Other
lines.
The best thing to do for the pro-
lection of the wheat from the fly is
/. Plant a small piece of wheat
! early in August so that it may come
{ up early, and be found by the flies
when looking fora place to lay theil
eggs. This piece will, Of course, be
full of maggots later. About the
y end ofSeptember plow this under
and do not use theground for wheat
) the next yea.. BY thismethod the flies
will lay their eggs in this early wheat
= and as they die after egg laying
= r few will be left.
2. Do not plant the wheat Tex.
cept the small piece just spoken of)
q until aboutSeptember Goth; by tina
y time almost every fly will have died
and there will be none left to lay
their eggs when the wheat comes up
Il There is a tendency in Pennsyl
n vania, as we'll as elsewhere, for tn
q farmer each year to get his sowin,
% done little earlier than the yea
a before. This is directly tavorabl
,r to the fly. Wheat sown as late a
Il September Goth, will make govt
% enough sothat it will not winter-kil
% and this method has been tried j
II states farther north than Pennsyl
q. vania for many years with success
n, 3. Some kinds of wheat are le.
rt attacked blythe fly than others. Rol
,g ing the field, with a heavy role
Sc when the fields are smooth and trt
,y from stones, about the first of Oct
It. Der, is of value in some cases. LIE
ting sheep Craze on the fields as SOC
as two or three blades from eat
's- 10 root appear, also helps, the shet
IL IL, eating the eggs of the fly, along wi
1l' the leaves. Crops on poor lar
.S' usually suffer most; hence the u
p of fertilizers to enrich the soil, ali
rs. , in keeping down the insect.
NJ 4. When the fly is already in Il
ty wheat, cutting a little higher thu
nv nv usual and plowing the stubble und
IN at once, will kill the insects befo
,as they have changed to the wing
ho stage. Burning the stubble is al
or beneficial at this time.
SUMMARY.
IL The fly must be killed or starve