^2 



CORN AND GRASS. 



less favoured countries, it would be hardly worth while to mention 

 it again. 



The fullest return sent in was the following, with which I was 

 favoured by Mr. Edw. Blundell, Prof, of Agriculture at the Royal 

 Agricultural College, Cirencester. Mr. Blundell mentioned that during 

 the vacation he had opportunities of visiting the harvest fields in many 

 different counties, and had found the puparia of the Hessian Fly on 

 the College Farm and in other parts of Gloucestershire. Also in 

 Bedfordshire, where Prof. Blundell is still carrying on a farm ; at 

 Rothamsted ; and near Welwyn, in Herts ; and near Sevenoaks, in 

 Kent, &c. But he further observed, "I am glad, however, to say it 

 was only by careful searching that I was able to find them in some 

 places, and they certainly have not been so prevalent as in some 

 previous years." 



Mr. Eardley Mason, writing from Alford, Lincolnshire, on the 21st 

 of July, mentioned that Hessian Fly attack was much less abundant 

 than in the previous year (1890), and that, though it was in every 

 field, diligent search was required to find it. 



Mr. D. D. Gibb, writing from Ossemsley Manor Farm, Lymington, 

 Hants, on the 18th of July, mentioned: — " About a fortnight ago, I 

 found puparia of Hessian Fly in Wheat plants, and to-day again came 

 across one ; evidently this attack is slight. As the puparia are mostly 

 located at knots close to the ground, they are not easily distinguished; 

 this would, I suppose, indicate attack at an early stage of growth in 

 the plant- 

 Some other passing allusions to presence may have occurred during 

 the season, though no report of damage, to a serious extent, having 

 taken place in this country has reached me ; but I give the following 

 account (by favour of Mr. J. J. Wilhs, Superintendent of Sir J. Lawes' 

 Experimental Grounds at Rothamsted) as an example of such virulence 

 of attack, occurring no further from us than about twenty miles from 

 the north coast of France, as to show other characteristics of presence 

 beyond what are usually observable in this country. 



With us, as we well know, the common form of attack is for the 

 Hessian Fly to lay one or more eggs, a little above a knot in the Corn 

 stem. The little maggots feed by drawing away the juices, without 

 stirring from one spot, and consequently, where attack is severe, the 

 weakened stem gives way, and elbows down just above the injured 

 part, as figured at p. 21, and when examined the pest is usually to 

 be found present, then advanced to what is called the " flax-seed " 

 state, that is, a small, flat, brown chrysalis case, in shape and size 

 much resembling a flax-seed (for figure of this, also see p. 21). 



On the 10th of Sept., I received a large packet of French speci- 

 mens, sent me on the part of Mons. Gabriel Eripier, as samples of a 



