The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-13
Wheat Crop in NeoshO and Chau-
tauqua Damaged.
Expert Declares Yield Will BE
Cut so Per Cent.
PEST is VERY ACTIVE
Careful Study of the Hessian
E'ly's Work Made.
Crop in Southern Belt Deliver
ed Body Blow.

Independence. kan, May 1s.-Up to a
week ago it was generally believed that
the prospect for a wheat crop in this and
Chautauqua county, west of here, was the
best ever known. To most persons the
wheat looked fine and in a most healthfuI
condition.
About the middle Of the week John
Rawlins. expert on wheat damaging
insects such as the Hessian fly and Texas
louise, was sent to this part of the state
by some Chicago people to investigate and
report the wheat conditions in the red
winter wheat belt. Mr. Rawlins spent
most thorough examination of the wheat
conditions in this territory
. = 9-.-.@ y - o = - =, =
ana very dlscouraglrg 70 the farmers ana
grain people around here. He told them
there was not a field OF wheat but what
was damaged to some extent BY the Hes
sian fly. The worst damage so far, he
states, is to the early sown wheat He ex-
of this city and found them alive with the
II essian fly. He found the fly IN all three
fly was in the first stage and had done no
apparent damage
it being only an egg which resembles the
grain Of that name. These eggs are found
at the conjunction of the roots with the
stock of the wheat in quantities of from
five to fifteen eggs in one stock of wheat.
They were deposited in the roots of the
wheat last fan and remained there until
warm weather.
Mr. Ra Wins found other fields where
the fly had advanced to the next stage
or the stage of the larve. In these fields
the fly had advanced from the egg to the
larve. which is a small worm about one
half inch in length. and they are found IN
groups of about ten In this stage the fly
has moved from the roots of the wheat
up to the stock and is imbedded between
the leaves and the stock of the wheat
It is in this STAGE that the fiv begins
mice from the stalk Of wheat ana the
wheat begins to die. In all the fields
the wheat has all turned yellow and sick
"A there
fields found here where the fly has ad-
vanced to the third or matured stage. The
fly has not yet reached this stage because
the weather has been unfavorable for it.
As soon as warm weather comes they viii
change to the third stage and then their
worst damage begins
The late sown wheat is looking fine and
Consists DsS Of 5"s Only a few fieids along the
Nerdigris valley, and they will probably
weeks as the early sown wheat in all this
Mr. Rawlins also spent one day exam
lining the big wheat fields in the Caney
valley in Chautauqua county. He found
than in any part Of the red wheat belt
In many OF the fields in that valley the
damaged the wheat 70 such an e1IenI
that they would not be worth the cost OF
Some 81 the wheat fields in Caney val
ley are being pfowed up and the ground
the wheat crop in that valley at not more
than so per cent of last years crop. and
ne says {ha1 Wnal Wnear IS raised 5 Mn o9
grade more than No. g.
The big wheat fields in Neosho county,
along the NeOsho valley. were also exam
ined by Mr.. Rawlins. These fields were
also found to be badly infested with the
fly. and the wheat fields which raised 80
to 40 bushels per acre last year, will not
average more than 10 or Y bushels this
year The farmers in that vicinity are the
only ones who seem to realize the great
damage that has been done to the wheat
this spring by the .Hessian fly. but the
fields there are so yellow and are looking
so bad that the damage is too apparent
to be overlooked The farmers in this
county will not believe that the wheat is
damaged by the fly to any extent. claim
ing that the light green or yellow color of
the wheat was due to the dry wealth of
two weeks ago. and that since the recent
rains the wheat will come out all right.
Mr.. RaWlins places the average yield
per acre in the southern Kansas red win
ter wheat belt at not more than 10 bush
els per acre and states that the wheat
1 crop this year can not be more than 50 to
60 per cent of last years crop.