REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 169 
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 8a 
among the rubbish, or are left in the straw. All screenings and dust should therefore 
be destroyed carefully, and all straw should be either used during the winter or burnt 
before spring. 
3. Fertilizers.—When it is known that a young crop of fall wheat has been injured 
by the Hessian Fly, it is a good plan to apply, the following spring, a light dressing of 
some quick-acting special fertilizer in order to invigorate the plants, ‘i 
4. Treatment of stubble.—As the Hessian Fly is undoubtedly restricted in Mani- 
toba to the summer straw-attacking brood, the remedy is simple, and, if persisted tase 
cannot think that the Hessian Fly need ever become a serious menace to western 
wheat-growers. The insects passing the winter for the most part in the stubble and not 
appearing until the following spring, when there are growing wheat plants for the 
females to lay their eggs upon, if the stubble be burnt over or plowed down in autumn 
and the straw fed to stock or burnt at any time before the flies emerge in the spring, 
this dire enemy of the wheat-grower should be easily controlled. 
It was to be expected, as stated in my last annual report (Zxp. Farm Report, 1898, 
p- 174), that at no very distant date we might have trouble from the Hessian Fly in our 
western wheat fields, for Prof. Lugger has recorded that in the Red River valley, in 
Minnesota, where the conditions are similar to those of a large part of Manitoba, a large 
area of that state was infested in 1896, the damage in some places amounting to more 
than 25 per cent, and that on an average the farmers lost from 5 to 10 per cent of their 
entire wheat crop.—J. FLETcHER. 
One of the chief reasons why 
the Hessian Fly has not been very 
injurious in Minnesota since 1896 
is, Prof. Lugger thinks, the abund- 
ance of parasites which appeared 
in 1897. <A few of these friends 
of the farmer (Polygnotus hiemalis, 
Forbes) have been found in infest- 
ed straws sent to me by Mr. W. W. 
Fraser from Emerson, Man. Three 
specimens of the most important 
Big. fee parasite of the Hessian Fly, Beoto- 
contaiieie six mus(M erisus) destructor, Say, were 
cocoons of Poly- bred by Professor Lugger from 
Gio nana’ straws sent to him by Mr. Chas. Fig. 5.—Beotonus destructor, female— 
—enlarged. : 5 
aa Braithwaite from Portage la Prai- enlarged. 
rie. It is to be hoped that these parasites will increase largely in numbers. Unfortun- 
ately, however, Professor Lugger writes under date October 20, that in Minnesota 
‘ Parasites of the Hessian Fly, are decidedly scarce this year. From 40 different places 
(about 75 infested straws from each) I have raised less than 25 parasites. Nearly 
all of them came from straw obtained from 
near Crookston, Polk Co., Minn. South of 
that place I have found none, north but a few.’ 
Manitoba material received from Mr. Braith- 
waite contained three specimens of the females 
of Beotomus destructor, On the other hand, in 
Prince Edward Island a much more satisfactory 
state of affairs may be reported ; for, from a 
packet of infested straws from Mr. Wyatt re- 
ceived during 1898, no less than five different 
kinds of parasites were reared, viz :— Baotomus 
} 2 destructor, Eupelmus Allynii, French, Hupel- 
Fig. 6.—Eupelmus Allynti, male—enlarged. mus, n. sp., Tetrastichus productus, Riley, and 
Entedon, possibly Z. metallicus, Nees. Cuts 3, 4,5 & 6, used here have been kindly lent by 
