The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-08-03
AVOID LOSS BY HESSIAN FLY.
A Very Important and Timely Article
Giving the Results Of Years Of InveS-
tigatiOn by State zOOlOgiSt Il. A. Sur

ands of other IN the eastern half OF
Pennsylvania from the unusually
severe destruction of the wheat
crop by the Hessian fly, wrote to
the state zoologlst at Harrisburg,
saying:
sour wheat was almost entire.
ly destroyed by Hessian fly this
season. Can the same ground
and that which is near be safely
sown to wheat this season."
The reply of Professor Surface
is as follows:
"The loss from the Hessian fly
this year was, indeed, very con-
siderable throughout the entire
eastern part of Pennsylvania.
Some fields which would have
yielded from thirty to forty bush
els per acre, are at this time by
actual threshlng measure, aver
aging only three bushels peracre.
The loss by this pest alone in this
state will amount TO many hun.
dreds of thousands of dollars.
Some years ago | commenced
a series of Investigations on the
Hesslan fly, and have continued
them with the greatest care. [
learned that some years the fly is
more abundant, and in others
much less abundant, but never
entirely absent I also proved
that at the latitude and altitude
of Harrisburg in those fields
where wheat was sown before
the 25th of September, there is
danger of the fall brood of the fly
being present and very destruc-
tive.
There are two distinct broods
or generations per year in this
state. The fall brood passes the
winter in what is known as the
llaXseed stage, and from this in
the spring comes forth the
winged fly, which lays it's eggs
near the basal parts of the wheat,
and from these hatch the spring
brood, which causes the wheat to
break down or become strawfall
Owing to the badly broken con-
dluon of the straw this year,
many farmers entirely abandon
ed their binders, and cut their
wheat with mowers because they
could cut it lower with these i'm
plements. 1t was then raked to.
gether and handled like hay.
Nearly all the flies remain in
the field in the stubbIe. Very
lew are taken into the barn with
the straw for tle reason that
they do not live high enough in
The straw to be cut off with the
sickle. 1t is good plan either
TO burn the stubble or to plow
the field before the latter part of
August. Even earlier plowing
would be more sure of turning
them all down. If the soil is
turned over completely by the
pIow so that the stubble is thrown
under, the fly will be destroyed.
vi course, the objection to plow-
ing or burning Is that the clover
or grass sown IN the gram is thus
destroyed. Also, 1t scarcely
Jusliiies one man, or even a few
men IN nelghborhood to do this
unless all will co operate and act
1T perfect unison. One single
nelo lna township will contain
enough specimens of the fly IN It's
sOuoole to infest an entire town.
SUPP IL 1t were possible to spread
Vuem IN every direction. There.
lore, the plowlng and burning is
not absolutely necessary, but
VIII prove an aid. One can have
sooo results by other means and
"' The same time preserve the
grass.
these other methods consist in
preparing the ground and plant.
'uE trap strip, of one or more
"l widths across the field, IN
''e latter part of August. This
% 70 act as a trap to let the fly
IVY ''S eggs during the early part
"u0 middle of Septem ber. Then
alout w the 2Oth of September, it
o@u m oe turned down, and the
s'pund ,1 narrowed and reseeded.
mus the entire field can be
p'anted at the proper time and