254 bisects Injurious to Vegetation. [Oct., 



coupled with the statement, that it was noticed at or before the 

 harvest in that year, and consequently anterior to the arrival of 

 the Hessian troops — which fact, he, confident as he was that this 

 was an indigenous insect, would not have failed triumphantly to 

 have stated. It is hence believed, that Dr. M. has assumed this 

 date, from the current report that this insect was introduced by 

 the Hessian soldiers, knowing this to have been the year of their 

 arrival. 



From the "■ flax seeds " casually lodged in the imported straw, 

 only a few flies would probably be evolved, to deposit their eggs 

 upon the young wheat in the autumn of 1776 ; nor would these 

 have multiplied to such an extent in the following spring as to 

 attract attention at the time of harvest. But, increasing with 

 each successive brood, by the harvest of the following year, 1778, 

 we might anticipate its being observed, and by a year thereafter, 

 it would become so numerous, that its real character would no 

 longer be in doubt. And in accordance with this, we are inform- 

 ed by Colonel Morgan, that " the fly made its first appearance in 

 1778: " and Mr. Clark, who in 1787 went to Long Island ex- 

 pressly to gather authentic information respecting this insect, says 

 in his report, " on the best enquiry I could make, during my stay 

 there, I satisfied myself in the following particulars, namely; first, 

 that the Hessian fly made its first appearance there about the year 

 1779, so as to injure, and in some cases to destroy their crops of 

 wheat." An anonymous writer in Carey^s Museum, (vol. i., p. 

 143,) gives the same year as about the period of its discovery. 



We therefore regard the year 1779 as most probably the date 

 when its ravages actually commenced. The crops of wheat were 

 severely injured or wholly destroyed by it in King's and Rich- 

 mond counties, during several of the following years; and each 

 succee ling generation regularly enlarged tlie sphere of its devas- 

 tations in every direction. 



Quite early in its history, the important fact became acciden- 

 tally discovered, that certain varieties of wheat are capable of 

 withstanding its attacks. In the year 1781, a prize schooner 

 loaded with wheat, was taken in the Delaware river, and carried 



