2 INSECTS INJURIOUS IN 1902. 
~ 
crop only averaged sixteen to seventeen bushel per acre owing 
to the Hessian Fly. Mr. G. E. Pratt states that in 1896 he lost 
almost his entire crop on account of this pest. 
In order to give a general idea of the loss caused by this in- 
sect I counted upon one field not badly infested, twenty straws 
down as a result of Hessian Fly injury, in one square yard. In 
this case the straws standing on the same square yard represent- 
ing the yield were not counted ; but upon another field only slightly 
injured I obtained a full count, and upon one square yard 423 up- 
right straws were counted, that is, so many heads were harvested. 
In this area 20 straws were down from other causes than the Hes- 
sian Fly injury and 6 straws were picked up containing “flax 
seeds.” This puts the loss in that square yard between one and 
two per cent which is hardly appreciable. It is true this field 
was but slightly affected and other portions may have given a 
much greater count, the North farm for instance, (see Fig. 1) 
where over fifty per cent of the wheat was down at the time of 
my visit. To give a further idea of the havoc this pest can cause, 
I quote from the report by C. L. Marlatt of the U. S. Dept. of 
Agriculture, in which he states that the loss in the Ohio Valley 
upon the winter wheat of 1899-1900 amounted to from thirty-five 
to forty million dollars. The minimum annual damage due to 
Hessian Fly is estimated at about ten per cent of the product in 
the chief wheat growing sections of this country, which indicates 
an annual loss of forty million bushels. 
The worst field visited was on the North farm near Glyndon 
above referred to, where quite fifty per cent of the wheat crop was 
lost. I believe an average loss of eight per cent for all counties 
in this state where wheat is raised to be a conservative estimate 
for this year. The grain has not been universally attacked over 
the portions mentioned above but, as indicated, almost every lo- 
cality has suffered a little and some individual fields excessively. 
The Red River Valley is particularly afflicted and all along the 
line of the Great Northern Railroad from Alexandria to Moor- 
head and beyond, fallen wheat could be seen from the train and 
in such abundance as to indicate great numbers of this pest. 
In 1901 the first report of injury came from Otter Tail county 
where a local miller placed the loss at fifty per cent. It was also 
reported from St. Peter, St. James, Worthington, Pipestone, Mar- 
