The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-09-07

This insect, which is very abundant
in Pennsylvania is often known as the
"hy' or the wheat n.y." II Is respon-
sible for Il large amount of loss each
year, often destroying one quarter OF
the crop and is particularly injurious in
wet seasons.
9jTFE HISTORY.
There are two broods of this insect
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 20 Thirty on
blade. In four or five days the eggs
hatch and the young mageots crawl
down the blade, enter the sheath and
pass down to the joint, Herothey stay,
sucking the juice from the q'lant until
about The end of November. when they
turn brown and harden. This is called
| the ilag-seed stage. In this conditiou
( they pass the winter. In the spring,
about the middle or end 81 April, they
I change to the full grown form, the
winged fly. These, at once begin to
lay tteir eggs Us before, and the history
as already given for the fall brood is
repeated: the flies from'this brood, APP
pesring in August and September, TO
layshe eggs on the winter wheat. This,
in hrief, is the life history of the Hes
star fly.
JyRE.NuNrHvr
Nrom what has been, given, it is plain
that there is no treatnlent of the seed
which will do aEy good nor is spraying
'of'any possible use. Treatment hen.
mrst be in other lines.
Che best thing todo for the protec-
ton of the wheat from the fly is:
g. Plant a snail piece of whext early
in August so that itmsy come up early,
and be found by thesfies when looking
for place TO lay tkeir egga This
piece will, Of eoprse, he full of arsggCts
leter. About the end of September
iplow this under, and do not use the
ground for wheat the next year. Sy
this method tlse flies '~ill lay their eggs
lin this early wheat and as they die
after egg laying, fevSwill be left
.. Do not pant the wheat teD.ept she
small piece Just spoken of, until abOat
September 2oth: by that time almost
every fly will have ,d2ed, and there will
he none left DO lay their eggs when she
wheat comes app.
There is tendency in PennsylTania.
as well as elsewhere, for the farmec
each year to get his sowing done litsle
earlier than the year before. This is
directly favorable to the fly. Wheat
'sOwn as late as September 3eaa, VIII
make growth enough so that il will mot
wnter-kill, and this method has been
tried in states farther north than Penn 4
sytT Tania for nrany years with Success.
-. Some kinds Of wheat are less at
taeeed by the Sty than Others. Boiling
the field with a heavy roller, when the
FIELDS are smooth and free from stones,
abert the first of Octeoer, is of 1aiue in
some cases. Letting sheep grazeon the
iields as soon rs two or three qplades
from each root appear, also helps the
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 in the
wheat, cutting a littk higher than
usual and plowing the stubble under at
once, will kill the insects before they
haye changed to the winged stage.
Burning the stubble is also beneficial
at this.tine.
SUMMARY.
The fly must be killed or starved. 10
kill as maay as possible, plant a small
piece early, as trap for the fly to lay
on, then ,plow it under and thus kill the
eggs from which the spring brood
comes.
To starve the fly do not slant until !
about September Goth, 20 that the hy
will die before it can find any wheat to
lay its eggs on
II both these methods are used to- |
gether, 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 fellow
ing this plan already and with good |
success. One writes 81 plant a trap
piece early, and my main crop late, and
am never troubled with the fly, while
some OF the farmers IN this township
sometimes lose one-qnarter OF their
crop"
II results like this can be obtained in
such an easy way it will certainly pay
TO try these methods.
III. u. FERNALD,
State Zoologist.