Evening journal., 1899-12-11

BEING FIRST DISCOVERED on
LONG ISLAND IN 1879. NEAR
WHERE THE HEssIAN TROOPS
LANDED-INTEREsTING ARTI-
Gle FROM DELAWARE COLLEGE
EXPERIMENT STATION.
Every Fall inquiries come in from
all parts Of the state concerning injur-
les to young wheat. The fields have
been looking especially green and
healthy. and the farmer has been con-
= atulating himself on the good start
fhe vshave made, when gradually many
IN IN, plants commence 10 turn yellow
and .ew di G. Such are the symptoms
I'd ininrv to wheat, which, upon exami-
nation. is all uost invariably found to
hc diio to the Iessian fly.
OF fhn injur. ious insects peculiar to
The whcat plaml' the Hessian fly Is un-
doubtedly the n ost widely distributed
and most destrue tive. Very often II is
rcsnonsihle for q e loss OF from one
quarter to one-hah of the crop and one
tenth of the whole yield OF the United
State. or fifty-fve to siXty-hFe million
bushels. is estimated TO represent the
amount lost annually by its ravages.
Having been first noticed as injurious
on Long Island, in 177.1, near where the
Hessjan troops had landed three years
before. it seems altog ether probable
that ii was brought to this country by
Them. and il has, therefore, been named
after them. Rapidly spr eading over all
the wheat land of the East, 1t appear
cd in California in 1884. was reported
as injurious in England in 1886, and in
1855 was found to be destructive in New
Zealand.
The adult flies are little, dark-eolored
gnats about one-eighth OF an inch long
but these are less often seen than the
immature stages. Each OF tine female
laws from 100 TO 150 minute reddish
eggs. placing them in irregular rows ol
from three to Eve. generally upoa thI
upper surface of the leaf bun
often beneath the sheath OF
the leaf in the Spring
In a few days these hatch into small
reddish maggots. which soon turn
white. are cylindrical, about twice al
long as broad and. like all maggots
have no true head or legs
The Fall brood OF maggots burrCv
beneath the sheath OF the leaf and III
base. which is still below the ground
causing a slight enlargement at the
point Of attack; but in the Spring they
usually stop at one OF the lower joints
above the surface. IN both instances
becoming fixed In the plant and weaken
ing II by absorbing its juices.
This difference in method of attack
results in q corresponding effect on the
plant The first indication of the worl
OF the maggots in the Fall is the ten
dency OF the plants to stool out. the
dark color of the leaves which are
somewhat broadened, the absence o.
the central stems. later many of the
plants turn yellow and die The Spring
maggOts attack the laterals or till
ers, which have escaped the previou!
brood so weakening them that the
stems break and fall before ripening
and cannot be readily harvested.
In about four weeks the maggots be,
come full grown. and are then lighi
rreenish-white, and about three six
teenths of an inch long. Their Skin
now turns brown, shrivels slightly, ant
inside OF it is formed the new stage
called the pupa. This outside case. com.
posed Of the cast larval skin, is lxnOwr
as the puparium, and this stage is gen.
egally spoken Of as the "fiaxseed stage,
from the close resemblance to that seed
In this stage the Fall brood passes tn,
Winter the flies emerging in April ol
May, while the Spring brood so re
mains during midsummer and emerge.
during September Besides the abov,
there are often two supplemental
hroods, one following the Spring bruo,
and one preceding the Hall brood.
Rye and barley are the only othe
plsnts known to be infested by the fly
When rye is planted early for pastnr
the following Spring, it, will general,
stool out SO that fhc urorl. az tbo ~,