210 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Sept. 



e 



m a year 

 September. 



T3ie Hessian Fly. (Cecidomyia destructor.) 



This is one 

 of the most de- 

 * structive i n - 

 sects in this 

 country. It lias 

 a black head, 

 chest & wings, 

 ( and a brownish 

 b od y . T w o 

 generations arc 

 often, if not al- 

 ways, produced 

 the first in spring, the second in 

 The females lay their eg^i on the 

 leaves of young wheat, which hatch in a few 

 days, and the worm descends between the outer 

 covering and inner part of the stem, down to the 

 earth. It is there changed into a gnat of the 

 size and something of the appearance of a flax- 

 seed, as represented at letter a in the accompa- 

 nying illustration. Here the fall generation 

 remain till spring when they .are transformed 

 into winged insects. The grubs destroy the 

 plant by sucking its juices, and robbing it of its 

 proper nutriment. The letter b is a drawing of 

 this insect. 



The Wheat Midge or Fh/, ( Cccidomia Tri- 

 hei,) fig. a, is a severe pest in many sections. 

 it is smaller than the Hessian fly, of a yellow 

 color, with clear wings. They ai-e seen in 

 June when the wheat is in blossom, and the eggs 

 are deposited at dusk in the scales of the chaff. 

 The maggots are of a yellow color, changing to 

 a brown. They eat the young kernel as it is 

 forming, g represents one of these worms 

 magnified. The .maggots fall to the ground, 

 enter it, and change into chrysales, and come 

 forth perfect insects in the spring. 



Unfortunately, we know of no reliable pre- 

 ventives of the injuries that annually occur from 

 these flies. The wheat growers in the vicinitv 

 of the residence of the editor, sow late and 

 feed close with sheep to destro}^ the nits deposit- 

 ed in the fall by the Hessian fly ; and some 

 have tried burning sulj)hur, at evening, on the 

 windward side of wheat fields, in order to di-ive 

 off the wheat midge. 



To Correspondents. 



Communications have been received durino- 

 the past month from L., A. H., Isaac Cushman^ 

 .1. H., Eli Dickinson, S. W., Joseph Penning- 

 ton, I). A. Ogden, Jason Smith, S. F. S., Reed 

 Burritt, A. Dorsey, II., C. 



Books, pamplilets, &c., have been received 

 from variojs sources. They will be noticed 

 hereafter. 



The engraving of " Ide's Patent Wheel Cul- 

 tivator," intended for this number, is not yet 

 completed. We shall endeavor to give it, w'ith 

 a description, next month. 



State Fair at Auburn. 



We liope to see the farmers in Western New 

 York turn out in their strength, and with their 

 best articles for exhibition, to attend this annual, 

 and truly useful Rukal Jubilee. The agricul- 

 tural reputation of this portion of the State is in- 

 volved in the matter of making the exhibition 

 creditable to the skill and industry of the tillers 

 of its excellent soil. 



Although the season has not been so favorable 

 as we could wish, still we doubt not the display 

 will be large, beautiful, and most interesting. — 

 All should attend who can make it convenient to 

 do so. The good people of Auburn, and the 

 worthy President of the Society, Mr. Sherwood, 

 will look well to the point of providing ample 

 accommodations, and at fair prices. 



American Quarterly Journal of Agriculture. 



The number for July, August, and September 

 of this useful Quarterly is before us. It contains 

 many valuable communications and editorial ar- 

 ticles. Our friend II. S. Randall, Esq., of 

 Cortland, gives a graphic and interesting sketch 

 of an "Agricultural and Geological trip to Car- 

 bondale," during which he entered the coal 

 mines, and collected many specimens of fossil 

 plants. If Mr. R. has any duplicates, we hope h^ 

 will not forget the geological cabinet now form- ' 

 ing in connection with the Western New York 

 Agricultural School. 



The price of the Quarterly Journal of Agri- 

 culture has been reduced to $2 a year. Pub- 

 lished by Huntington & Savage, 216 Pearl 

 street, New York. 



Bloody Milk. 



Mr. Wxldman of Castile, says : — 



" I wish to ask of you, or some of your correspondents, 

 what I can do for a likely young cow I liave that came in 

 last spring, and has given bloody milk for the last two or 

 three weeks. I have had recommended garget root and ni- 

 tre, both of which I have tried, and see no good result. I 

 still continue to milk her, and feed it to tlie hogs, in hopes 

 that there is something I can do for her that will restore her 

 milk, as she is of a superior breed which I wish to keep on 

 my farm." 



Blood in milk arises from the rupture of blood 

 vessels in the lacteal gland, where the milk is 

 secreted from arterial blood. One has to rely 

 mostly on Nature to heal the bleeding vessels. 

 Quack nostrums can do but little good at best, 

 and may injure the general health of a valuable 

 cow. Milk very gently three times a day, and 

 wasli the bag in cold water, made colder by the 

 solution of a little salt. The object of frequent 

 milking is to avoid the great distension of the 

 vessels in the gland, and their liability to bleed ; 

 while the application of cold water will serve, 

 like applying it to the forehead or back of the 

 neck to check bleeding at the nose, to contract 

 the open mouths of the capillaries which exude 

 blood into the milk. 



