HESSIAN FLY. 47 



With this attack, more than perhaps almost any 

 other, we rest on the apphcation of common agricul- 

 tural measures, and dates of sowing, for the treatment 

 which, joined to effects of the climate, has hitherto 

 kept this infestation in check. 



A great part of the damage caused by the maggot 

 presence, arises from the stem being so weakened that 

 it elbows down ; therefore all selection of kinds of seed, 

 and all treatment calculated to give a healthy strong 

 straw which will not give way under a moderate amount 

 of maggot infestation, are direct means of preventing 

 loss. 



So far as wheat is concerned, our usual time of 

 autumn wheat-sowing places the springing of the 

 young plant w^ell after the time when the summer 

 Hessian Flies are about. 



In the process of threshing, the so-called " flax- 

 seeds " are thrown down with the light screenings, and 

 can readily be gathered up with them and destroyed, 

 thus putting an end to all chance of recurrence of 

 attack from this cause ; and, as hitherto we have only 

 been troubled by the summer attack on the corn stems, 

 and had no difficulties from the additional multipli- 

 cation caused by a winter infestation on the young 

 plants, it may be well hoped that this corn attack will 

 not take the serious place in this country which it does 

 in many other parts of the world. 



These are three examples of the class of Gnat-like 

 Flies {TipuUdce, scientitically), which do as much 

 harm. The Daddy Longlegs, of various species, are 

 of the genus Tipula ; the Wheat Midge and the Hes- 

 sian Fly are of the genus Cecidomyia, which includes 

 many other small Gnat Midges, some of which cause 

 ^alls, and some of which feed, in the grub state, in 

 Willow; and there are also other injurious kinds we 

 cannot enter on now, but which, like the Willow Stem 

 Midge, might be much lessened by noticing where 

 they are in the chrysalis state. In this case, to burn 

 worthless, infested shoots does much good and costs 



