The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-10-06
CONTROL HESSIAN FLY.

Washington, Oct. 2.-Sow winter
wheat after the Hessian fly has dis
appeared and save next years crop
from the ravages of the pest, say
the Department of Agriculture's ex-
perts. This advice may still be ap-
piled during the present month in
the great wheat belt lying Letween
the thiry-fifth and forty-frst paral-
lels of latitude. If the fly has been
starved out by burning or disking all
stubble and ruined wheat feds, and
al volunteer wheat has been plowed
under or otherwise destroyed, an in
festation the following year may be
prevented by sowing after the ap-
proximate fy-free date.
The Hessian fly of the second or
fall generation is likely to infest all
volunteer wheat and all wheat sown
before the fy-free date. 'Flax-
seeds" of the second generation re-
main on the fall-sown wheat plants
till the following April, when adults
issue and produce young which be-
gin another season of infcstation.
The adult flies of the second genera
tion emerge from the "H.xseed"
stage from the middle of August to
late October, according to the lati-
tnde. The female fly does not live
beyond 5 or 6 days, and thus it is
that late sowing. after the flies have
largely disappeared, is the mast prac-
tical and effective method employed
to control this pest.
According to experimental sowings
carried on for a series of years, the
approximate dates to SOW winter
wheat to avoid the Hessian fly during
years of normal rainfall have been
determined. There are some
roints with regard to these dates
which all farmers within fly infested
districts must take into account.
They should be familiar with the con-
ditions of their own localities, as to
weather, soil, and latitude. They
should also be familiar with their own
fields. Dry weather retards the de-
velopment of the fly and also that of
the most important of its natural enc
mics, precisely as it retards the COM
ing up of wheat if it be sowr in very
dry soil and without sufficient rain
fall. There is also an approximate
difference of about one day to each
1GO feet of elevation.
There is, of course, a serious OBJ
lection to the late sowing method to
control the Hessian fly, and that is
the danger that the plants will not
make sufficient growth to Withstand
the winter. This objection, how
ever, may be largely overcome by
proper cultural methods. Much of
the delay in the growth of late-sown
rlants in the fall can be eliminated
oy paying close attention to the pre-
paration of the soil and to the
quality of the seed. The best advice
that can be given is to begin the pre-
paration of the field in the fall pre-
cisely as though it was 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 finely pulverized, compact
seed bed has been secured, the seed
should be selected, and this should be
done with the point in view that un-
naturally shriveled or otherwise i'm
perfect kernels can not produce
healthy wheat plants. When the
kernel sprouts it at once sends fl
rrous roots down into the soil from
which to draw nourishment for the
young plant, and if little or no nour-
ishment is secured the wheat plants
are put into somewhat the condition
of stunted calves, pigs, or other farm
animals which are underfed,
Wheat plants can not secure
prompt and ample nourishment if the
roots must make their way about