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the Wheat-stalk worm. J. K, P. W., of Andersonville, Tenn., sends 

 the editor some infested wheat stems, stating that "nearly or quite 

 every stalk seems to be affected with them ; as a consequence the 

 straw is inclined to fall before the wheat is fully ripe." The editor 

 in reply states that the worm was the larva of a hymenopterous 

 insect, but new to him. 



I have examined the wheat fields in quite a number of localities 

 in Jackson county, of this State, and find the worms present in 

 about the same numbers in the different localities. I have also 

 written to a number of persons in different parts of the State, 

 mostly north of here, but could elicit no information from any one. 

 In a short trip to Lawrence county, the fore part of September, I 

 examined the wheat stubble and found some of the worms, but in 

 much less numbers than in places in Jackson county. I could not 

 learn that spring wheat was affected with the worms, it not being 

 raised here, all the fields examined by myself being winter wheat. 

 From the smallness of the number found in Lawrence county, I am 

 inclined to think the insect is not found north of southern Illinois, 

 rather that it is a southern insect, and that it seems probable the 

 Tennessee insects above referred to are our Wheat-stalk worms. If 

 however we may take the almost universal light yield- of wheat 

 through Southern Illinois the past season, as an index of the presence 

 of the Wheat-stalk worm, then we have some idea of the amount 

 of damage done. I think in a measure this may be done. There 

 have been a few Hessian-flies, but not enough to do any great 

 amount of damage in this locality, and I think, from all I can learn, 

 the same is true of the most of this part of the State. It is pro- 

 bable that the early coming on of cold weather a year ago, and the 

 sudden opening of spring thig" year, helped to make some fields light 

 where the growth last fall was weak ; but where the fields produced 

 a fine growth of straw, and the abundant heads gave promise of a 

 good yield, the light heads and scant yield of inferior grain can not 

 be laid to these causes. In each case such heads examined by 

 myself and others were found to be on a stalk containing one or 

 more Wheat-stalk worms. 



This condition of the wheat fields I find to have been quite com- 

 mon, from conversation with parties residing in different places. 

 One person tells me that in a locality in the western part of Franklin 

 county the wheat looked fair when heading, but the heads were light, 

 so much so that one farmer did not cut a part of his field. Another 

 person, do not remember the county, found the heads light in his 

 field, and cutting some of the stalks open found worms inside. A 

 Mr. McAdam, in the western part of Jackson county, when asked 

 how his wheat yielded, said it was very light ; I found plenty of the 

 Wheat-stalk worms in the stubble. Numerous other instances of 

 this character might be given, but perhaps here is enough. I am 

 satisfied that a considerable portion of the light crop of wheat that 

 has pervaded the whole of this part of the State the past season 

 can be attributed to this cause. 



