The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-07-24

During the past year Kansas wheat
has suffered great damage from Hes
sian fly. Some estimates place the
total loss at slightly more than ten
per cent of the estimated crop, as
based upon the acreage sown. The
attack has been most severe In CEN
trail and southern Kansas, but, with
the exception of the extreme north
and the extreme west, the fly has at
tracted attention throughout the
| wheat belt.
| When we realize that the habits
of this insect are such that the use
of proper cultural methods at the
right time will largely prevent 1t
| from causing noticeable damage, 1t
| 1t plain that information of this sort
should be in the hands of every man
who has recently suffered from its
| ravages.
| Habits and Life History.
Where the Fly Is Now.-Just now
the flies may be found as small,
brown, long-oval, seed-like objects,
about one-fifth of an inch long, lying
between the sheath and the straw,
Just above the joint, where the straw
breaks over, or they may be found
packed in with many of their fellows
about wheat heads which never
emerged from their sheaths.
Indications of Its Work.-At this
time perhaps the most characteristic
evidence of fly appears in the brokn-
down wheat straws. These stalks
are usually broken rather close to the
ground.
What It Will Do This Summer, Fall
and Winter.-With a few exceptions
the fly will remain as quiet, brown
flaxseed until next September and
October, then the long-legged gnat'
like adults will emerge and lay their
long-oval, reddish eggs lengthwise in
the grooves on the upper sides of the
leaves of the volunteer or early-sown
wheat plants. These eggs, which are
Just large enough to be seen with the
unaided eye, soon give forth tiny red
dish larvae that wriggle down inside
Joint. Here they rasp the tissues
of the stem, feed. and grow.
1t is usually the central stalk that
is worst infested, while the tiliers,
many of which grow up after the
flies have deposited their eggs, will
be almost or entirely free. The mas
COTS soon lose their reddish color
and turn white. the majority reach
ing maturity and transforming into
brown fiaxseeds before cold weather
Thus they pass the winter, safely
tucked in between the sheath and
the main stem just above the joint
and usually below the surface OF the
ground.
Indication of Fall Work. - In the
late fall the presence of the fly is in
Dictated by the form of the plant. The
stalk infested with maggots has no
strong central shoot, but appears
leafy and bushy. The first effect OF
the fly is to make the wheat tiller
freely, covering the ground and giving
the field a deep green color, thereby
deceiving the inexperienced into
thinking the prospects for wheat I'M
usually fine. Later, If enough flies be
present, the deep green will be eX-
changed for sickly yellow appear
ance, and it is then evident to every
one that something is wrong.
What It Will Do Next Spring and
Summer.-With the coming of spring
the long-legged. gnat-like flies Will
crawl out of the fiaxseeds and fly
about over the wheat, depositing eggs
on the blades. TN the spring OF 1908
| the flies came forth in March and col
| lected in some wheat fields in sufii-
cient numbers to redden the soil)
From the eggs laid at this time will
come the maggots that feed on the
wheat weakening the stems and caus
| ing them to break and fall over be
| fore harvest. Some of these ma sgots
will reach maturity and transform In
| to faxseeds, from which will come
| adult flies in May. These flies will
deposit eggs on he blades Of the
most immature stalks and the larvae
develop about the heads, so sapping
| them that they may never emerge
from their sheaths. 1t is probable
that the bulk of damage to the wheat
crop is effected by the work of the
fall and early spring broods, and that
those flies emerging in May do little
real damage to the crop, because they
appear to confine their attacks to
young plants that spring up from the
base of older stalks. This habit does,
however, increase the numbers of the
destructive fall brood.
| Natural Encnies.
Certain tiny wasp-like insects prey
upon the Hessian fly, and when these
are present in large numbers the fly
disappears as an injurious insect. Not
enough study has been given to these
parasites to enable anyone to say
under just what conditions they
| thrive and do their work. They were
present and working on the fly dur
ing the spring and early summer. at