The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-09-21
THE HEssIAN FLY AND WHEAT CROPS.

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The Hessian fly is an old pest thai
is so we'll known, and which has done
SO much harm, that farmers should
have organized years ago for its ex'
termination. The adult insect is
about the size of mosquito, and il
this section the females deposit their
eggs upon the fall wheat. It will also
attack rye and barley. The eggs are
deposited upon the under surface ol
the leaves, and hatch in about four OF
i've days, the maggots working their
way between the sheaves to points oi
the stalk near the ground, where the
'puparium," or "Aax seeds" are
formed. The larvae remain inactive
on the stubble during the winter, but
Issue as adults in the spring. They
then lay their eggs for the summer
brood, which form the familiar ''flax
seeds before harvest time, remaining
onthe stubble during the summer and
producing adults in the fall. Their
work weakens the stalks and causes
the wheat to lodge. The swelling on
the young wheat near the base of the
stalk indicates their presence. Some
fields seem to escape the fly, while
others are attacked, and the amount
Of moisture is also a factor. The
destruction caused by this enemy of
wheat is enormous in some sections,
farmers having their yields of wheat
so greatly reduced as to cause heavy
loss; and this reduction not only af-
fects the farmers, but also reduces the
wheat supply of the country. AS the
fly is known over a large area, any
danger to the bread supply is matter
of concern to all classes.
WATCH FOR INDICATIONS.
AS the insect remains in the stubble,
the duty of every farmer, after he has
harvested his field, is to plow the land
or burn itover, if possible. The land
should be rolled with heavy roller
after blowing. All chaf and screen
ings should be burned. Wet weather
favors the development of the insects.
There are also parasites which prey
upon them, and many of the pests can
not escape destruction unless the burn
ing of the field is done somewhat
late. The Pennsylvania Experiment
Station recommeds that the best mode
of preventing damage is to sow or
drill the seed as late as possible. Such
advice may not always be applicable,
but it is not out of place to keep that
fact in view. Farmers should exam.
inc their fields when the wheat is we'll
under way, and uotice if there are any
indications. Many of them are under
the impression, when the Hessian fly
appears, that it comes suddenly, when
in fact it begins on wheat in the fall
and remains until ready for work.
The burning of the stubble field
after harvest, or blowing and rolling
should never be neglected. Cooper
ative effort in community will rid
any farming community of the pests
ifthe work is done systematically It
is the careless one here and there, who
propagates the community. A single
seasons work upon the determination
of the Hessian fly would clear the
community of nuisance, and it is
not at all difficult to get rid oft if all
farmers will unite in the matter.
FERTILIZER AND WHEAT.
When wheat is seeded down late,
in order to avoid the fly, and the
plants do not make desirable growth,
there may be favorable weather be-
tween seeding and the severe cold
period. Should the ground be cover
ed with snow it will afford protection
against cold, but whether wheat
starts off well or not, there is one
special fertilizer that will give the
plants almost new life in the spring,
which is nitrate or soda. An applica-
ton of 100 pounds per acre, after dan
ger of frost is over in the spring will
give deep green color to the plants
and they will grow rapidly. The cost
of the nitrate will be returned in the
increased yield of the crop, as we'll
as save sickly lot of plants from de-
struction. Some farmers go over
their fields in the spring with
smoothing harrow, and, if necessary,
the field is rolled. When applying
nitrate it will be an advantage to har-
row before so doing. The drought
is not so damaging to wheat if the
preparation of the land is thorough at
the time of drilling the seed, nor are
the plants thrown out of the ground
if the land is we'll drained. A good
wheat crop pays as well now as for
mer1y, even with lower prices, as
labor saving machin cry reduces the
expense but where farmers make the
principal mistake is In not applying
fertilizers more literally, as well as
using manure, for, according to statis-
tical reports the use of fertilizers is not
general, considering the number of
farms.-PhiladelbAia Reco,d.