No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 295 



soil be stirred at sucli time of the year that it will come in contact 

 with them where they are too cold and stagnant or dormant to es- 

 cape it it will freeze against their bodies and kill them. 



The date of seeding is also very important. As for example, in 

 sowing wheat late to avoid the Hessian fly. In this State no wheat 

 should be sown before the middle of September in the northern part 

 and the first of October in the southern portion of the State. This 

 is the best recommendation that can be given for preventing 

 the injuries by this pest. However, it should be remem- 

 bered that late seeding does not mean late plowing. The ground 

 should be plowed early and put in the most perfect condition. A 

 careful preparation of the seed-bed is always of great importance in 

 giving vigor and growth to the plants, and consequently in making 

 it possible for them to have strength to overcome the effects of their 

 enemies. The date of setting out plants becomes important to avoid 

 the enemies. It is possible, for example, to set cabbage in the spring 

 at just such time that the cabbage root maggot or worm will attack 

 it, because it will be the right date to receive the eggs of the fly 

 from which this worm hatches. It is also possible, however^ by 

 planting cabbage a little earlier or just a little later to avoid the 

 attacks of this pest, because the eggs of the flies will have been laid 

 at the time of this planting. This is not only theory, but is the re- 

 sult of practice of persons giving us reports of such work. 



The date of cultivation and the amount of cultivation become very 

 important in preventing and destroying insects. For insects in the 

 soil the more cultivation that can be given plants, the better, be- 

 cause pests are destroyed by that means, and plants are invigorated. 

 The date of gathering a crop may vary according to the methods, the 

 occasion, etc., and may be made such that serious pests will be de- 

 stroyed or prevented. As for example, in destroying the clover seed 

 midge, and preventing the occurance of a second brood. This midge 

 feeds in the larval stage in the young seed in the base of the blossom 

 of red clover. One midge is at each single floret, but a hundred in 

 a head. Where we see clover blossoms mature imperfectly, and only 

 a few florets, or sometimes even none properly developed in a head, 

 it means that this midge is present in destructive numbers. If 

 clover be cut a week or two earlier than usual the midge is killed 

 by being brought to an untimely end, but when clover is permitted 

 to remain until fairly ripened or almost ripened, as in accordance 

 with the usual time for cutting clover, the midge falls to the ground 

 and is ready to go into the pupal state there and emerge as a winged 

 creature a short time later. It then lays its eggs in the heads of the 

 second crop of clover, and thus destroys the seeds of the crop which 

 we wish to mow and thresh for seed. It can be seen that early mow- 

 ing of the first clover crop kills the midge in its worm stage, prevents 



