TWO ONION MAGGOTS. 



21 



are the sufferers. The flies are said to winter for the most 

 part as pupae in the ground, tho some of the adults may hiber- 

 nate. 



Probably the most practicable remedy at our disposal is to 

 pull up and destroy young plants as soon as the first appear- 

 ance of the wilting is observed. This checks the increase of 

 the maggot. Sand and kerosene ( i cupful of kerosene to i 

 pailful of dry sand) placed about the bases of the plants, is 

 said to be excellent where but a few plants are to be treated, 

 but manifestly impracticable on a large acreage. Such treat- 

 ment should be made early enough to prevent the egg laying 

 of the fly. In some soils broadcasting a mixture of 600 lbs. 

 kainit and 200 lbs. nitrate of soda per acre, first partially 

 exposing a little of the root system with a hand plow, is suc- 

 cessfully practiced. Evidently no such radical treatment has 

 as yet been called for in Minnesota. 



GENERAL INSECT CONDITIONS; IDENTIFICATION 



OF INSECTS, ETC. 



A number of the leading inquiries received thru the mail, 

 regarding injurious insects, are listed here. To the 1906 list 

 we have prefixed the inquiries of 1905 omitted from last year's 

 report which was almost entirely taken up with an account of 

 the Diptera of this state. The list gives a good idea of what 

 are our leading pests (barring the Chinch Bug whose name 

 does not appear), and also shows that inquiries are received 

 from practically all of our agricultural counties, as well as 

 numerous others. 



As evidenced by the species listed and by correspondence 

 with field workers, the Chinch Bug has not been injurious 

 during the last year, and the same may be said, with qualifi- 

 cation, however, of the Hessian Fly. While there have been 

 but very few complaints of this latter pest during the past two 

 years, it is evidently present in localities and on the increase. 

 A special field worker reported that on July 5th both larvae 

 and "flax seeds" were found fairly abundant in Olmstead 

 county. From "flax seeds" taken at that time flies issued in 

 July. On July 12th he found this pest to be very abundant 

 in both wheat and barley in fields near Rochester. By care- 

 ful examination and subsequent figuring he estimated that in 



