The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-25
.HESSIAN FLY BUSY
IN GRAIN FIELDS
ARMY WORM Is ALSO THREATEN-
ING TO BECOME PEST.
State Entomolog1st Advises Farmers
How to Combat Insects Which De-
stroy Crops and Orchards New Soft
Shell Scale Attacks Plum and Other
Trees Is Time to Wage War.

Field observers in the employ Of the
state chronological department report
that the Hessian fly Is again busy in
the grainfelds. So far, no reports Of
actual damage to the crops have been
received, but the fly is present in con-
siderable numbers.
lacking timothy have come in from va
rious parts Of the state, and the in
crease Of the pest is SO great as to
threaten serious trouble next year. Pro-
lessor w. P. Washburn, state entomolo-
gist, advises that, when an "arny"
Of these worms is seen approaching a
field, the owner pillow three, or four fur
rows around it, turning the earth to-
ward the advancing worms. The fur
rows check and hold the worms and
they can be killed by the use Of kero-
sene, or kerosene and water, or straw
can be spread over the burrows and
New Scale Is Plentiful.
Professor Washburn is considerably
worried about another pest, the soft
shelled scale Of the plum, which is COM
paratively new in Minnesota, but seems
to be gaining foothold. They have
been reported on plum, evergreen, sspi-
trees and shrubs.
"This SCALE, says Professor Wash
burn, Clocks like an excrescence on
the bark. It is hemispherical, and un-
derneath the brown exterior is the IN
sect itself, which secretes the scale.
For the last two weeks eggs have been
Matching in countless hundreds, and the
young, soft-bodied scales are crawling
out from the parent scale and spread
Ing over shrubs and trees. Now is the
time to kill them by spraying. I have
found that scent cake Of soap dis
solved In six gallons Of water and used
| when lukewarm, will kill these little
fellows. One or two applications will
| practically free a small shrub or tree
little scales settle down and secrete
| a hard covering it takes stronger caus-
tics or oils, which have to be used when
the tree is dormant, to kill them. We
| have raised some tiny parasites from
this scade. These are helping us.
Field for Bug Hunter.
"The electric lights just at present, in
the twin cities and elsewhere, are great
thousands of small caddis flies and
small May flies form a cloud beneath
and around the arc lights. Caddis flies
look like small moths in the adult stage
The young caddis fly is an entirely diff
ferent-looking creature. It lives in
| the water and constructs ABOUT ltSel1
a case, which it drags about on the
bottoms of lakes, ponds and rivers. AT
this stage the larva is called case.
worm. Some Of these cases are made
of fragments Of leaves; another species
uses small twigs, and another grains OF
sand. e. .s,.. ,.>r ..,
Eat Water Insects.
"The Maysdies, with their four gauzy
Iwinps and soft bodies EerToneOusly be-
llieved to live but twenty -four hours
also pass their larval life in the water
and while the adults take no food AND
only live short time. the young ar
most voracious and predaceous, and de
your other soft-bodied insects which
likewise live in the water The pres
ence of water, then, means a large mum
Der of May flies and caddis flies, an
since they are both attracted to lights
1.-THE electric lights in our cities an
For the ,hnp: hunter ~ .-ss.. 80