HESSIAN FLY. 85 



practice, and it is especially recommended in the United 

 States (where autumn Wheat-sowing runs earlier than with 

 us) that Wheat should not be sown until after the 20th of 

 September in the Northern States. 



In this country this remedy is applied for the most part in 

 regular process of farming arrangements ; commonly our 

 Wheat is not sown until some time after date named, and 

 thus the young plant is hot up until the flies which would 

 have laid eggs on it are dead. 



It is quite a plain thing that if, when the flies come out 

 from the chrysalids, there is nothing suitable for them to lay 

 their eggs on, — that either the eggs will not be laid or the 

 maggots from them will be starved to death. 



Thus so far we have escaped the winter attack to the young 

 plant which is a most important matter, and in fact at once 

 saves half (and what I am informed by Prof. Eiley, Entomo- 

 logist of the Department of Agriculture, U.S.A., is considered 

 the most important half) of the year's mischief caused by this 

 pest. 



Destruction of "flax-seeds " found {after threshing infested 

 straw) in siftings or light grain is one method of quite 

 certainly lessening amount of coming attack. 



In the special report on this subject sent me in 1886, by 

 Mr. D. Taylor, Jun., of Daleally Farm, Errol, N. B., he men- 

 tioned that he not only found the " flax-seeds " in the " sift- 

 ings," but that they were still more noticeable in the light 

 grain or " shag " which fell immediately behind the dressing- 

 fanners, or is delivered at the side by a "shag" or "tail- 

 spout," also amongst the earth and small weed-seeds which 

 fall through the sieve below the fanners." 



The proportion of "flax-seed " to the handful was found to 

 be much larger in this light corn or "shag" than in the 

 siftings. In these the amount of " flax-seed " nan to about 

 twelve to fifteen to the handful, but in the light Corn as 

 many as nearly forty to the handful were found. 



It is a great point in prevention to destroy these infested 

 screenings. Where they are merely of dust, rubbish, and 

 weed-seeds, it would be little trouble or loss beyond cost 

 of labour to have them burnt, or by any other more con- 

 venient way thoroughly destroyed ; and where they are in the 

 light grain, this should be treated so as to prevent the "flax- 

 seeds " being distributed with it. Mr. Taylor wrote regarding 

 this point: — "We are boihng those 'flax-seeds' which are 

 amongst the shag along with it, and feeding our horses and 

 cows with it; the weeds and dirt are promptly destroyed." 

 But in whatever way each owner may think fit to manage it, 

 the matter of destruction of these "flax-seeds" is highly im- 



