78 AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 



and to the older volumes of the Agricultural Periodicals of the 

 United States. 



202, (A J Insects injurious to the seed, when sown, and to 

 the young plant: 



In Indiana, wheat has been injured botL before and after germinating 

 by a &quot;red ant.&quot; It bores a small hole into the kernel, and consumes 

 the germ ; or cuts off the sprout, and eats into the grain. Drilled wheat 

 appears to escape these ravages. (Annual Report of Indiana Slate Board 

 of Agriculture, 1852. 2. The Prairie Farmer, in 1844, describes a 

 small fly, a little more than an eighth of an inch in size, with four 

 wings, and the odor of a bed-bug, \\hich did much injury in Illinois. 

 It first destroyed the heads of wheat previous to harvest , it then took 

 to the corn-fields, killing that which was not too far ripened ; and then 

 attacked the young wheat, cutting it off just beneath the surface of tho 

 earth, &quot; taking all clean as they go. They are of all stages of growth, 

 and have been from the first, and the ground is perforated \vith theboka 

 made by them.&quot; 3. In common with many other grains and vegeta 

 bles, young wheat is sometimes injured by the &quot;Cut-worms,&quot; (Agroti* 

 didce.) &quot;Wire-worms,&quot; (lull,) and &quot;Grub-worms,&quot; (Melolontkad Ge,) 

 but these will be referred to more particularly hereafter. 



(,) Insects which injure the straw of wheat while growing : 



1. The Chinch-bug (Lggceusleucopterus. SAY.) has done much se* 

 vere injury in the South and West, including Wisconsin and Illinois. 

 In its perfect stat) it is winged, and measures three-twentieths of an 

 inch in lergth. The eggs are laid in the ground ; and the young make 

 their appearance on wheat about the middle of June, and still later at 

 tack all kinds of grain, corn, and herds-grass, during the whole sum 

 mer. 2. The Joint- worm (Eurytoma ?) has proved eminently 



destructive in Virginia. It varies from one-tenth to nearly three-twen 

 tieths of an inch in length, is of a pale yellowish white color, with an 

 internal dusky streak, and is destitute of hairs. It buries itself in the 

 straw, generally at a joint, in or near the second or third joint from the 

 ground. The substance of the straw for a distance exceeding half an 

 inch is much swollen, and changed to a wood-like texture, while tho 

 surface exhibits long, pale spots, slightly elevated like a blister. The 

 worm finally changes to a winged insect. Burning the stubble as soon 

 BS the grain is harvested is recommended as a cure. 3. The Hessian 

 Fly (Cecvlomyia. destructor,) is supposed to hnvc been introduced from 



