REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 165 
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 8a 
the wheat-growing country around Stonewall and Balmoral—every farm I inspected 
had it. I found puparia’in every wheat and barley field I entered, and in every stack 
of unthreshed wheat looked at. I was able to examine the screenings from one thresh- 
ing place (on the fafm of Mr. J. Little) and here there were puparia inabundance. The 
first place visited was the farm of Mr, J. McEwen, where there was a piece of breaking 
very bad with the fly. Mr. McEwen estimates the damage at one-third of the crop, 
and I am sure the estimate is a careful one. The next place visited was Mr. Jas. 
Little’s. It was from this farm that the specimens were sent to you last month. The 
damage here was quite as great as on the last place, but in this case the land bore a 
crop of wheat last year. It was on this farm that I examined the screenings from the 
thresher. Mr. Martin Shepley estimates the damage done to his summer-fallow at 
one-fourth or perhaps as much as one-third. I have mentioned these three farms 
because they are the only cases in which T was able to see the farmers and discuss the 
question with them. As to barley I could secure no estimate of the damage done. No 
barley had been threshed, and there is not the same interest in the barley crop as in 
wheat. I did not find the puparia so numerous in barley fields as in wheat fields. The 
puparia were almost invariably above the second joint, usually singly, though some- 
times in twos and threes. I collected a number of specimens of which I send you a few 
in case you wish to breed the parasites. 
‘Summer-fallow and breaking suffered quite as badly and as generally as land 
cropped last year. THaliow and breaking are naturally the earliest sown, as they are 
soonest in condition for seeding. The weather during seeding was very cold and back- 
ward, and continued so up to the 10th June, after which the most perfect conditions 
for growth prevailed. I may also quote the statement of Mr. J. Little that the wheat 
which was earliest cut was less broken down than that cut later. In reply to a further 
question, he said he did not know whether it was less damaged, but it was certainly less 
broken down. Mr. J. McEwen stated that greener portions of a field were less broken 
down than riper ones. From this I would point out that the amount of damage was 
estimated generally from the state of the crop before threshing, that green or under- 
ripe grain does not break off so readily, and that a crop cut a shade green would not 
show the full amount of damage done.’—Metvin Bartuert, Dept. Agriculture. 
‘Buffalo Lake, Moose Jaw, Assa., Aug. 30.—When I wrote you some three or four 
weeks ago with regard to the wheat pest, I had not observed any indications of it. 
Since then it has become quite evident. I learn from a neighbour adjoining me that he 
had it last year. At present there are quite a number of heads through my crop and a 
very considerable number in my near neighbour’s. It seems especially bad on the outside 
of the field ; where he was cutting wheat 2 or 3 days ago, the outside 10 or 15 feet was 
very materially damaged. It seemed to attack the maturer heads, not troubling the 
greener grain much.’—G. 8. Tuxrorp. 
‘Emerson, Man., Sept. 1.—I am enclosing to you some samples of wheat straws 
injured by the insect referred to you some days ago by Mr. Geo. Greig of the Yarmer’s 
Advocate, Winnipeg. You will find them located immediately above the joint first 
from the ground. Kindly examine and let us know the name, and likelihood of 
recurrence another year, remedy if any, and any information you deem of use. This 
pest is more or less found all over the province, and is estimated to have done as much 
damage in some places as to reduce the yield 20 per cent..—W. W. Fraser. 
‘Winnipeg, Sept. 1.—We enclose sample of straw from Winkler Station, where it 
has drawn attention. Isit the Hessian Fly ?’—Ricnuarp Wavuau, The Nor-West Farmer. 
‘Winnipeg, Sept. 1.—Enclosed find a few stems of wheat straw cut at ground and 
fallen in crop so as to be missed by the binder. In each straw is an insect, the cause 
of fall. About one in a hundred of the stems was so affected. What is it and how can 
it be treated ?’ 
‘Holland, Man., October 4.—In every field I have looked (that is in Manitoba), I 
have found traces of the Hessian Fly. T know of no other insect doing the farmers any 
injury this season.’—F. D. Biakety, of The Nor- West Farmer. 
‘Balmoral, Man.—I am sending you under separate cover an insect in pieces of 
wheat straw. It is found at the joint nearest the ground. Just above this joint 
