TNBECT8 INJURIOUS TO AGRICULTURE. L93 



sheathing base of the leaf, and remain between the 

 the leaves and the stem near the roots, the stalk to 



and the plant to turn yellow and die. i'._. the end of 

 ember, or from thirty to forty days after the wheat is 

 sown, they assume the "flaxseed" state, and may, on re- 

 moving the lower leaves, be found as little brown, oval, 

 cylindrical, smooth i . a little smaller than graii 



rice. Theyremain in thewheat until during warm weather; 

 in April the larva rapidly transforms into the pupa within 

 its flaxseed skin, the fly emerging from the flaxseed 

 about tin' end of April. The eggs laid bythisfirst or spring 



brood of flies soon hatch; the second br 1 of maggots live 



but a few weeks, the flaxseed state - -• >n undergone, and 

 the autumn or second brood of flies appears in August, i In 

 some cases there may be two autumn broods, the earlier 

 August brood giving rise to a third set of Sep- 



tembe 



There are several destructive ichneumon pai the 



Eessian fly, wh mbined attacks are supposed at times 



to destroy about nine-tenths of all the flies hatched. Of 

 these, the most important is the Chalcid four-winged fly, 

 Seiniotellus (Merisus) destmator (Fig. 237, i, much 

 larged), which infests the flaxseed; and the egg-paras 

 Platygaster herrickii Pack. 



II: mi imi • By sowing a part of the wheal early, and. if arte. 

 by the By, ploughing and sowing the rest - ptemher 20, the 



wheat-crop may in most cases be saved li should be rememb 

 that the first brood should tie thus circumvented or d d in 



order thai a second, or spring, brood may n<>i appear. 



li the wheal be only partially affected, it may 1 



izers and careful cultivation ; or a badly dam:! 1 of 



winter wheal may thus be recuperated in t i rig. 



Pasturing with sheep, and consequent close cropping win- 



ter wheat in November and early December, ma} causi m nyof the 

 and flaxseeds to be destroyed; also, rolling the ground 

 may have nearly the same effect. 



- . hardy varieties The Underhill Mediterranean wheat, and 

 especially the Lancaster variety, which tillers tould be 



sown in preference to the slighter, less vigorous • : ' -ion 



much infested by the fly. The early (Aug ■' might 



be Diehl; the late sown, Lancaster or Clawson. 



Of special remedies, the use of lime, soot, or salt may be recom 

 mended, also raking off the stubble; but t< cutting of the 



