326 



THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



notice, appears in June. The eggs are laid on the chaff of the 

 berry. Upon hatching, the orange-colored maggot lies between 

 the chaff and berry, and by absorbing the juices, ruins the ker- 

 nel, and thus an insignificant larval fly does immense damage. 



REMEDIES. This important enemy, which does no great dam- 

 age in Europe, because of the numerous parasites which prey 

 upon it, is fast losing its terrors here, and so I will only men- 

 tion the very commonly understood preventives. 



If they are troublesome, get the variety of grain which is 

 least affected and most vigorous, and then sow fall wheat so early, 

 and spring wheat so late, that the former may mature too early 

 to be injured; the latter, too late. By great pains in cultivation 

 the fall wheat may be urged on so as to be free from danger. 



Hessian Fly. Cecidomyia destructor. Say. Family and 

 order as above. This insect, doubtless owing to its numerous 

 insect enemies, is very irregular in its injuries. It will seem to 

 disappear entirely, and then all at once come forth in myriads, to 

 bring ruin to the wheat fields. After a little it again seems to 

 go away. It has not gone; only held in check by its many foes. 

 NATURAL HISTORY. The little gray fly, looking almost ex- 

 actly like a small mosquito (Fig. 6), lays its rows of eggs on 



the inside of the leaves, in num- 

 ber from one to five in each string. 

 These are laid in September and 

 May, as the insect is double 

 brooded. As soon as hatched, 

 the maggots (Fig. 6, a) work 

 down between the leaf and the 

 stalk, and by absorbing 

 the juice, so weaken the plant that it 

 y languishes, and frequently dies. The 

 maggot is white. The attack of the sec- 

 ond brood causes the stalk to bend over. 



3. The pupae the so-called flax-seed (Fig. 



FIG. 6. a, Maggot. m . ... . 



&.PUPR. c, imago. 7) look like brown seeds, and may 

 often be found by pulling back the leaves, to the 

 number of five or six, sometimes fairly imbedded in the stalk. 



Fir,. 7. 



