The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-06-25
AESsIAN FLY IS
EXPECTED TO
CAUSE TROUBLE
Among Crops This Fall and De-
paftment Asks Co-opera-
ton of Farmers.

WASHINGTON, June 25.-"Has
your wheat been infested by the Hes
sian fly this season." is question
that the United States Department OF
Agriculture is now asking farmers.
The information Is desired that there
may be general cooperation between
all concerned in reducing the deyas-
tations Of the iy. There is every in
dication that the pest viii be unusu-
ally troublesome to the crop this
fall.
Names Wanted.
Every wheat grower In the country
who suspects that his crop has been
infested Is requested to send his
name to the Departments Bureau OF
Entomology at Washington, D. c.,
with q request for a question blank.
The questions to be answered are
merely as to whether the wheat
growers crop was infested at certain
seasons. The farmer will then be
asked to forward some of the infest-
ed wheat plants for examination,
postage to be paid by the government.
He will also be asked to give his
name. address, and the nearest rail-
way station.
Send Enough Straw
The department is cooperating
with various states experiment sta
tons in this campaign against the
Hessian fly, and in some cases the in
Tested straw will be sent by the far
mer to local stations for examination.
The wheat grower can learn Just
where his sample Of straw is to be
sent when he sends his name to the
department, indicating his willing
ness to send the sample. The depart
ment encourages the sender not to
be afraid to forward too much of the
straw, even though 1t has to be sent
by parcel post. The upper part of
the straw need not be sent, but
enough above the ground should be
included to get the insect IN what is
known as the t'fiaxseed" stage when
the larva is incased in hard, brown
skin and somewhat resembles flax
seed. The insects will remain for a
considerable time in thea 'fiaxseed"
state during drought and will only
emerge after rains have moistened
the soil. Dry weather in the late
summer tends to keep the insect in
that stage, which is fact of special
Importance in the North where the
wheat must be sown early enough to
enable the plants to stand the win
ter
Causes Much Damage.
Probably no other insect causes
more damage to the wheat crop in
the United States than the Hessian
fly, although there are certain years
when the chinch bug exceeds the fly
in its devastations. During the sea-
sons when the fly is especially alum
dant hundreds of thousands of acres
of wheat may be either totally de-
stroyed or so badly injured as to re-
duce the yield SO to rs per cent.
The monetary losses run far UP into
the millions.
A number of years ago there was
In Kansas general cooperation be-
tween grain dealers, millers and
farmers to restrict the ravages of this
dangerous insect. According to their
own estimate, over million dollars
were saved by prompt action and
thorough measures. This year the
department hopes to secure general
cooperation throughout the country
in combating the pest. There are in
dications that its ravages may be Sc
we're. Already in Iowa and Oklahoma
there have been threatening out
breaks of the insect
Late Sowing.
Not only are federal and state or
CARNATIONS Of the government Coop
Grating In this campaign but others
such as the National Millers' FEEDER
alton are working to secure better
control over the Hesslan fly. The in
divfdual wheat grower is asked to
send his samples of infested straw
before the middle of September, and
sooner II possible, as after that, the
fly will have Matched and have en-
tered into the wheat.
Late sowing of the seed and burn
ing Of the stumble when not seeded to-
grass or clover are the only measures
controlling the Hessian fy-that is,
for winter-wheat growing sections.
In the spring-wheat sections, late
seeding will not apply. On the con-
trary, the earlier 1t is sown in the
spring the less 1t seems to suffer
from this pest.
more detailed explanation OF late
sowing for winter wheat to avoid at
tack by the Hessian fly will be given
in subsequent article. The pres
emit article is merely an invitation to
the wheat grower to help the depart
ment in its campaign. The post card
to be forwarded the farmer, con
tains enlarged Illustrations of the
fly in its adult and also it's "fiaxseed"
state.
Guba's sugar crop for the present
saasnn is estimated at 9 5nn m tnnn