The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-07-31
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the last of October according to latitude the
maximum emergence occurring during the last
two weeks Of September the first week in
October depending the locality. This second
generation infests volunteer wheat and all wheat
sown before the fyfree date. The "faxseeds' OF
the second generation remain the plants OF
fall-sown wheat till April of the next year, when
adults issue from them and begin another season
No farmer need be in the least uncertain as to
the extent to which his wheat is infested in the
fall An infested plant stands straight upward
in the drill row, with broader leaves of a darker
green color does not tiller and therefore does
not spread out and cover the ground between the
rows. The Hessan fly attacks wheat, rye and
barley, but not oats
Last year during the period from late May IN
til October the department of agriculture issued
repeated warnings and advisory statements to
the public press in it's weekly news letters tell
ing farmers that there was impending danger Of
serious outbreak of the Ressian fly during the
year 1915. These warnings, based observa-
tions made from field stations throughout the
entire of the threatened outbreak were not
for the purpose of creating undue alarm, but
were fully justified, in view of the great abun-
dance of the Hessian fly at that time and the
almost entire absence of the particular species
of parasite natural enemy that is most in
fuential in holding the pest in check 1t is to
be hoped that farmers generally will profit by
last years experience, and in plant wheat
during August, but wait until the date indicated
on the accompanying map to the proper time
for planting in their locality.
Nowhere, either in the East or West should
wheat be wheat stubble If this course
can possibly be avoided However, in the East,
as well as in portions of Iowa and Missouri,
the wheat stubble is universally seeded to tim
othy and clover, and, therefore any kind of cult
walton of these stubble fields is rendered i'm
practical, though in most cases it would be far
better to sacrifice all except the very best seed
ing. Neither the fields be burned with
out destroying the young seeding, and where
these conditions prevail the only practical
method that the farmer is that of delay
ing his wheat sowing until the flies have made
their way from the stubbIe to the fields and died
there without being able to find any plants upon
which to deposit their eggs.
1t should be borne in mind that the most prac-
teal and effective methods OF controlling the
Hessian fly identical with the best methods
Of producing the maximum yields of wheat 1t
is entirely possible for the farmer to fight the
Hessian fay by the process of good farming in
volving thorough cultivation, good seed and a
rotation Of crops. The most serious objection to
most practical and effective method that can be
employed to control this pest in the feld-name-
~, late sowing-is that there is danger of so
delaying the growth OF the plants that they do
not become sufficiently advanced to enable them
to withstand the winter
Much of the delay in the growth of latesown
plants in the fall can be eliminated by paying
close attention to the preparation of the soil and
to the quality of the seed; but If the soil lacks
in fertility or has been poorly prepared a slight
attack that vigorous plants overcome is fatal
because of the badly nourished condition of the
plant itself. The best advice that can be given is
to begin the preparation of the field in the fall
precisely though it expected to SOW at
very early date, but instead OF sowing use the
disk harrow and the roller even after it appears
to be waste of labor to till the field further
When a finely pulverized compact seed bed
has been secured, the seed should be selected,