202 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



64 VICTORIA, A. 1901 



WHEAT-STEM MAGGOT 



(Meromyza americana, Fitch). 



Although the injury by this insect is not known to have been very serious during 

 the past season, specimens have been sent in from a good many different places. It 

 has been found attacking fall wheat in western Ontario in company with the Hessian 

 Fly. The larger number of complaints and inquiries have come from Manitoba, and 

 the North-west Territories, where the ' dead heads ' caused by the summer brood had 

 attracted attention and were thought by many to be the work of the Hessian Fly. The 

 remedies for the Wheat-stem Maggot are practically the same as those for the Hessian 

 Ely. 



THE WPIEAT-STEM SAW-FLY 

 (Cephus pygmaeus, L.). 



This insect was reported from a few places in the North-west Territories during 

 the summer of 1900, but no widespread injury was attributable to its attacks. 

 Specimens were sent in from three places, and I have to thank my correspondents 

 for taking a great deal of trouble in securing specimens and in- 

 formation concerning this interesting insect, which in any year 

 may develop into a serious pest. A pretty full account of the 

 insect and its life history was given in my report for 1896, when 

 the most serious attack which has yet been recorded in Canada, 

 was reported upon. This was at Souris, Man., on the farm of 

 Mr. William Wenman. Mr. G. S. Tuxford, of Buffalo Lake, near 

 Moose Jaw, Assa., has reported every year since then on the occur- 

 rence of the insect, and this year reports a serious outbreak, 

 as follows : — 



' Buffalo Lake, Moose Jaw, August 9. — Last summer I wrote 



you that there was not much sign of the Wheat-stem Saw-fly. Later 



I had to write again saying that some fields were rather badly 



attacked. This year, in our immediate neighbourhood of Buffalo 



.. Lake, the pest is assuming very serious proportions. We have 



just started wheat-cutting, and some fields especially all along the 



outside have from 20 to 40 per cent cut off and lying down. Our 



Fig. 4.— Wheat-stem grain is ripening very rapidly this year ; a great deal is dead 



Saw-fly ; a, cocoon; ripe now. We had four heavy rains on the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th 



• °^'°s^- instant. Crops are from good to veiy good, though some fields 



sown on stubble will not give more than ten bushels to the acre.' 



' September 18. — I have been trying to find some more stubbles in which the 

 grubs of the Wheat-stem Saw-fly were hibernating ; but, owing to the early harvest, 

 the late date of your request, and the many heavy rains, I find after many searches 

 that it is impossible now to find any. At the end of July and early in August, it was 

 very easy to trace and unearth the grub. I am sending you, however, a number of 

 samples of the cut-off stems and heads. This is the same pest I complained of in the 

 fall of 1897, and of which I then sent you samples. I remember you then advocated 

 as one remedy, burning the stubbles in the fall. As the grub retires below the surface, 

 would not this still leave it untouched ? It would be very difficult to get over a large 

 area of ground by fall ploughing out here where the fall is so short.'— Geo. S. Tuxford. 

 It will be remembered that all wheat in the ISTorth-west is spring wheat. 

 The early date at which this wheat was ripe. August 9, was doubtless due to the 

 dry hot season. This also accounts for the small yield mentioned by Mr. Tuxford ■ 

 of fields sown on stubble. The advantage of sowing on land summer fallowed, as a 

 means of retaining moisture, was very marked in the West last season. The injury 

 by insects to an infested field being most severe on the outside, is not an unusual 



