New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-07-15
HAS YOUR WHEAT B ZEN INFEsT-
ED WITH THE HEssIAN FLY? /

HAS your wheat been infested by the
Hessian fly this season." is a question
that the department is now asking
farmers. The information is desired that
there may be general cooperation between
all concerned in reducing the devasta-
tions Of the fly. There is every indica-
ton that the pest will be unusually
troublesome to the crop this fall.
Every wheat grower in the country
who suspects that his crop has been in
tested is requested to send his name to the
departments Bureau Of Entomology at
Washington, D. c., with a request for
question blank. The questions to be
answered are merely as to whether the
wheat growers crop was infested at GER
tain seasons. The farmer will then be
asked to forward some of the infested
wheat plants for examination, postage to
be paid by the Government. He will
also be asked to give his name, address,
and the nearest railway station.
The department is cooperating with
various State experiment stations in this
campaign against the Hessian fly, and in
some cases the infested straw will be sent
by the farmer to local stations for exami-
nation. 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 willingness to send the
sample. The department encourages
the sender not to be afraid to forward too
much of the straw, even though it has to
be sent by parcel post. The upper part
of the straw need not to be sent, but
enough above the ground should be in
cluded to get the insect in what is known
as the "faxseed" stage, when the larva
is incased in hard, brown skin and
somewhat resembles flaxseed. The
insects will remain for a considerable
time in the '3flaxseed'' state during
drought and will only emerge after rains
have moistened the soil. Dry weather
in the late summer tends to keep the in
sect in that stage, which is a fact of
special Importance in the North, where
the wheat must be sown early enough to
enable the plants to stand the winter.
Probably no other insect causes more
DANCE 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 it's devastations.
During the seasons when the fly is
especially abundant hundreds of thous-
ands of acres of wheat may be either
totally destroyed or so badly injured as to
reduce the yield so to IS per cent. The
monetary losses run far up into the
millions.
A number of years ago there was in
Kansa general cooperation between 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 coun-
try in combating the pest. There are
indications that it's ravages maybe severe.
Already in Iowa and Oklahoma there
have been threatening outbreaks of the
insect.
Not only are Federal and State organi-
cations of the Government cooperating
in this campaign, but others, such as the
National Millers' Federation, are work.
ing to secure better control over the
Hessian fly. The individual wheat
grower is asked to send his samples of in
tested straw before the middle of Sep
TENDER, and sooner if possible, as after
that the fly will have Matched and have
entered into the wheat.
Late sowing of the seed and burning
of the stubble when not seeded to grass
or clover are the only measures known
to date that are effective in CONTROL NO
the Hessian fy-that is, for winter
wheat growing sections. In the, spring.
wheat sections late seeding will not
apply. On the contrary, the earlier it
is sown in the spring the less it seems to
suffer from this pest.
A more detailed explanation Of late
sowing for winter wheat to avoid alta tx
by the Hessian fly will be given in a
subsequent article. The present arti ,le
is merely an invitation to the wheat
grower to help the department in it's
campaign. The post card to be for
warded the farmer contains enlarged
illustrations of the fly in it's adult and
also its ''flaxseed" state.