37 
to contain them, the walls of this cavity were considerably gnawed 
from half an inch to an inch and perhaps more, often almost or 
quite hard to the exterior. 
“The manner in which the injury is done by this worm seems to 
differ from that of the ordinary joint-worm more in the way than 
in the effect. According to Dr. Fitch and others, the presence of 
the worm in the hard tissue of the outside of the stalk, whether of 
the joint or of the internode, a little removed from the joint, arrests 
the flow of sap by the hard, knotty gall, but this seems to arrest 
the flow more from breaking the internal fibers of the internode. 
In this case there is not so often a breaking down of the stalk as 
with the joint-worm, for the erect position of the culm is not inter- 
fered with, and the outer or stiff portion remains entire till the 
perfect insect is ready to emerge. The chief influence upon the 
wheat.seems to be exerted during the later stages of its growth, 
when the worm is approaching its maturity, as it is then probably 
a more rapid feeder. As evidence of this, the heads are fully 
formed, to, all appearance, but the grain in them is light, and they 
ripen prematurely, showing that the supply of material for the full 
development of the head has been cut off.” 
REMEDIAL MEASURES. 
As the greater part of the larve remain in the stubble, especially 
if the grain be not cut very close, and as they continue here in one 
form or another, at least until mid-winter, and usually until the 
following March or April, it is at once evident that nearly the en- 
tire brood may be exterminated by burning the stubble. In case of 
a light yield, or when the wheat has grown up to weeds, it will 
often be difficult to burn the field over, but if the insect is at all 
destructive, if will doubtless pay to run a mower over the field, 
burning the vegetation after it has dried. 
The usual absence of wings and the slight locomotive power of so 
minute an insect, give us another resource against its injuries, since a 
simple rotation of crops must almost wholly prevent the adults from 
laying their eggs in wheat as they emerge from the stubble in spring. 
Such of their number as have the power of flight may doubtless 
find suitable situations for oviposition; and if a field of wheat lies 
adjoining to one in which that grain had been raised the preceding 
year, the adjacent border might become infested by even the wing- 
less females, but doubtless this injury could not extend far. 
Whether it will be best to take any measures against those indi- 
viduals carried away in the straw, it is impossible to say with cer- 
tainty without further observation and some slight experiment. It 
is not unlikely, however, that these are killed in threshing; and 
even if this is not the case, as the greater part of the straw is 
commonly fed before the adults would emerge in ordinary seasons, 
very few of those infesting the straw could possibly be available for 
the maintenance of the species the following year. At any rate, the 
simple and easy precaution of burning the remnants of strawstacks 
early in spring, would remove all possible danger from this source. 
