The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1916-07-22
FIGHTING THE nEssIAH FLY.
Pest 10 on the Increase and Should Be
Comhatad.

Pest 10 on the Increase and Should Be
combatsd.
The 1915 wheat crop was cut down
TO the extent OF several million hush
els by the depredations of the Hessian
fly. says the Iowa Homestead. This
pest seems to be on the increase. and
In those localities where 1t X.ls made
Its appearance wheat growers can well
afford to take certain precautions
against its spreading.
The real damage to the wheat is not
done by the mature fly, but rather by
the mageots or larvae. In u contribu-
ton to the Iowa Agriculturist Professor
Il. l.. Webster points out that in some
cases as many as fifteen or twenty
maggots will appear on II single plant.
In this case so much nutriment Is TAX
Ell mp by these pests that the wheat
dies. and il the entire crop is not to-
tai loss it is so greatly injured that
the yield is materially cut down.
These insects cause wheat to lodge 40
badly that 1t is almost impossible to
take 1t up with binder
In discussing control measures Pro
fessor Webster advises the blowing I'M
der OF Infected stubble. After harvest
is the best time to take measures
against the Hessian fly. All summer
is spent in the tiaxseed stage on wheat
stubble, where the insect can easily be
reached.
STUMBLE may he burned over soon aft
err harvest. This destroys large per
ccntage of the insects. There are.
however some undesirable features
about this measure 1t does not get
all the faxsced. since some are on the
plants below the soil. In Kansas. ac-
cortling to Messrs. Hendlee and Parker,
blowing wheat stubble under was
found more efficient measure than
burning 1t over.
Infested wheat stubble should be
disked Immediately after harvest. IT,
makes blowing easier and conseryes
moisture Then three or four weeks
later the field should be plowed under
at depth of six inches. completely
burying all stubble.
Volunteer wheat allows the Insect to
breed readily. and flies easily go from
this to sown wheat. All volunteer
wheat should he destroyed by disking
and narrowing.
BY sowing wheat MS late as possible
and vet obtaining good start much
benefit may be obtained. although
there Is danger of winter killing II
sowed too late. The idea in late SOW
ing is that the wheat may come up at
n time in the fall when most Of the
flies have disappeared.
Late sowing benefits only so far as
the fall generation of the insect is con-
ccrncd. All wheat is liable to infec-
ton in the spring. SO that late sown
wheat is open to injury then ms well
as that sown early. But II late sown
wheat escapes damage In the fall the
chances for injury are greatly reduced
in the spring, since the majority of the
flies will deposit eggs In the field
where they emerge. .-.-.
Not infrequently late sown wheat be-
comes heavily infested in the spring.
This is usually due to infestation from
other nearby wheat.
Some fifteen years ngo. in Ohio. r.
NJ. Webster gave approximately safe
dates Mt which fall wheat may be
seeded and escape severe injury by the
Hessian fly. More recently. Headlee
and Parker gave similar dates for the
wheat growing section Of Kansas.
From the Kansas dates and also from
observations by Professor Webster In
southwestern Iowa 1t appears that
wheat sown Oct in the southern tier
of counties should escape the fall
brood OF the fly. For the latitude OF
central Iowa this date would be about
Sept. %.
Do not follow wheat with wheat. adj
vises Professor Webster. Many cases
of severe infestation by the fly occur
when wheat follows on old wheat
stubble. This Is because the insect is
carried over in the stubble or I'm vol
untccr wheat that comes up in the
stubble. The chances for damage arc
always less where wheat follows some
other crop than wheat.