ORCHARD, GARDEN, AND FIELD INSECTS 145 



The Hessian Fly does more damage to the wheat crop 

 than all other insects combined, and probably ranks next 

 to the chinch bug as the second worst insect enemy of the 

 farmer. It was probably introduced into this country by 

 the Hessian troops in the war of the Revolution. 



In autumn the insect lays its eggs in the leaves of the 

 wheat. These hatch into the larvae, which move down into 

 the ground, where they 

 pass the winter. There 

 they cause on the plant 

 a slight gall formation, 

 which injures the plant. 

 In spring an attack is 

 made higher up on the 

 stalk of the plant. 



Treatment. Burn all 



FIG. no. THE HESSIAN FLY 

 stubble and trash to kill 



the wintering insects. If the fly is very bad, it is well to 

 leave the stubble unusually high to insure a rapid spread of 

 the fire. Burn refuse from the threshing machine, since 

 this often harbors many eggs. Some people advocate 

 planting a decoy, or trap strip, of earlier wheat to catch 

 the fly, and then destroying this strip with the flies on it. 

 This method has not yet been thoroughly tried. If you 

 wish to try it, be sure to turn your decoy crop under so 

 deep that the fly cannot come to the surface. 



The Potato Beetle, Tobacco Worm, etc., are too well known 

 to need description. Suffice it to say that no good farmer will 

 neglect to protect his crop from any pest that threatens it. 



The increase, owing to various causes, of insects, of 

 fungi, of bacterial diseases, makes a study of these pests, 



