The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-07-09

ages of the Hessian fly in some sec
tions will be the greatest in several
years From late May or June to Oc-
tober. 1914, the Department issued re-
peated warnings and advisory state
ments telling of the impending danger
of a serious outbreak OF the pest dur
ing the wear 1915. 1t is now too late
to do anything toward lessening the
deyastations of the Hessian fly in this
years crop. Now is the time, however,
to begin the work of saving from the
fly the millions of acres of wheat which
will be planted on the present infested
area within the next few months.
In order to understand the situation
fully, it is necessary to know what the
fly is like, how it is capable of causing
such enormous losses, and how it
transforms from the egg to the fully
developed insect Comparatively few
farmers are able to recognize this pest
excepting in what is known as the
"flaxseed" stagge, which even then is
Olttu hllStdhCl III tiiO SS6'
There are two generations of the
Hessian fly each year, one in the fall
and one in the following spring, the
latter being the children of the former.
Therefore, if there were no flies to lay
eggs in the fall, it stands to reason
that there could be none to lay eggs
in spring.
In the course of it's development the
insect passes through four different
stages. The adult is small, long
legged. dark-colored fly, very much re-
sembling a small mosquito. The egg
is very small long, slender, and of a
shining, reddish color, and is placed by
the female fly in the groves on the up
per surface of the wheat leaves, both
in spring and fall. The maggot hatch
es from the egg, makes its way down
the leaf, and wedges itself between
the leaf sheath and the stalk of the
plant, where in some cases dozen or
more may be found partly overlapping
one another. When it becomes full
grown its skin hardens, changing to
brown. and from it's form and color it
is then commonly known as the flax
seed" which is the pupal or resting
stage OF the insect.
Beginning about April l. flies emerge
from the "faxseed" that have passed
the winter in the fall wheat, whether
early sown or volunteer. These flies
uninfested plants, the eggs hatch into
maggots in from to days, and the
maggots become grown in about 20 to
80 days and then change to 'faxseeds. y
This constitutes the spring generation
After harvest the "flaxseed" of this
generation can be found in the stubble
Just above the ground, or often higher
up where the straw has broken over
While, as stated, the Hessian fly EN-
erges from the "flaxseed' stag,
throughout an extended period of time
within the entire area of its distribu
tion. in any given locality this emer
gence Of the adults in destructiy
abundance occupies but a few days
The life OF the female after she make
her way forth from the faxseed," pre-
baby does not extend beyond perio
OF five OF six days. Thus it is that
delay in wheat sowing in the fall unit
after the flies have appeared and large
" disappeared becomes of such vita
importance.
The first flies of the second or ia
generation begin to issue from tn
'faxseeds' about the middle of Aul
ust and continue to issue till about tn
last OF October, according to latitude
the maximum emergence occurrin
during the last two weeks of Septen
ber or the first week in October. d
pending on the locality. This secon
generation infests volunteer wheat an
all wheat sown before the fy-free dat
The "faxseds" of the second gener
tion remain on the plants OF fall-soW
wheat till April OF the next year. whe
adults issue from them and beg
another season.
Appearance of Infested Plants
and Control Methods
Nc farmer need be in the least II
certain as to the extent to which
wheat is infested in the fall An
Tested plant stands straight upward
the dTill row, with broader leaves of
darker green color, does not tiller, al
therefore does not spread out and CO
ef TIC ground between tn rows. II
Hessian fly attacks wheat, rye, al
barley, but no oats.
Nowhere, either in the East or We
should wheat be sown on wheat stu
BILE If this course can possibly be ayo
L4 ~,