THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



may add, still more to the fruit-grower, and 

 tenfold more necessary in combating our 

 insect enemies ; but as long as moral evil 

 exists in the world, so long may we expect 

 there will be evil in the natural world, and 

 he who is not willing to contend against 

 both, is not worthy of the name either of 

 cultivator or of christian. 



Hessian Fly Notes. — " My opinion," 

 says Mr. George A. Green, in the New 

 York Tribune, "is that we have not yet 

 gone far enough with our experiments to 

 recommend a farmer to borrow money for 

 the purchase of phosphate. It is claimed 

 by some of our best farmers that the Hes- 

 sian fly, which has been very destructive 

 this season, does not work so disasterously 

 in fields fertilized with phosphate. My 

 observations have shown that where any 

 fertilizer has been used liberally, this in- 

 sect has done less mischief. 



At a late meeting of the Elmira (N. Y.) 

 Farmers' Club, the following discussion 

 took place relative to early and late plant- 

 ing. W. A. Armstrong said : There were 

 hundreds of wheat fields ruined by the fly 

 last year, and with its presence this year 

 there would be similar loss. Late sowing 

 appears to be the only way to prevent the 

 fly from continuing its depredations. The 

 rule is to wait until after a killing frost 

 before sowing the seed. The fly lays its 

 eggs on the wheat leaves in the fall, they 

 hatch there if the weather is suitable, the 

 larvae descend to the roots of the plants, and 

 in the following spring develop into flies 

 that lay eggs to hatch in turn, but the larvEe 

 burrow in the stalks above the first joint 

 usually, and arrest the ascending sap, thus 

 destroying the crop. Now with all these 

 conditions met, this course would be re- 

 peated year after year, and wheat raising 

 would be attended with loss. Last fall there 

 was general apprehension that the fly would 

 destroy the crop this year, so a new con- 

 dition was provided to prevent its work. 

 After a severe frost it does not deposit 

 eggs, or if eggs are laid they will not hatch. 

 So most farmers sowed later than usual, 

 and if they have poor crops there is com- 

 pensation in the fact that they are rid of 



the fly, and they may console themseves 

 farther by the reflection that a poor crop 

 is better than no crop, which would be the 

 certain result of the fly's continuance. 



G. S. McCann — I don't believe in late 

 sowing — fly or no fly. Early-sowed wheat 

 is always better. In my judgment the 

 recommendation to sow late has cost our 

 farmers thousands of bushels of wheat. 

 Wherever you find a good yield of wheat 

 this year you may find also that the seed 

 was sowed early. 



Col. Piollet — What do you call late 

 sowing ? 



G. S. McCann — Seed sown in October 

 is late. I prefer the last week in August. 

 If I might set a limit of time, I would 

 never sow later than the fifth of September, 

 and with other chances equal, I should 

 never fail to get greater crops than my 

 neighbors who adopt the practice of late 

 sowing. Even when the fly is trouble- 

 some, fuller success will attend early sowing. 

 I know this is true by my own observation. 



Abnormal Prevalence of Blow-flies. 

 — The following account of an unexampled 

 prevalence of blow-flies is by an intelligent 

 writer in DeBow's Industrial Resources of 

 the Southern and Western States, Vol. I, 

 1852. The account doubtless refers to the 

 smaller blue fly {Litcilia macellaria L.) 

 which appears to be the parent of the dreaded 

 " Screw Worm," and not to any of the 

 commoner and larger blow-flies, as Liicilia 

 ccesar L., etc.: 



" About eighteen years ago the green or 

 bloiv-flv became so numerous that thousands 

 of animals perished by them, as also some 

 human beings. The least spot of blood, 

 the moisture of the mouth, eyes or nose, 

 was sufficient to cause a deposit of eggs. 

 Sick persons, particularly those who had 

 not proper attention, suffered. Several 

 negro children who came under my notice, 

 fell a sacrifice to them, and it was with 

 difficulty that many others were saved. In 

 these instances the fly deposited the eggs 

 within the nostrils, where they soon caused 

 death by producing inflammation of the 

 brain. This fly is annual, and scarcely 



