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may come in the " flax-seed " state in straw imported 

 from any of the countries troubled by this pest ; it may 

 be received from Canada, or from the United States, or 

 from the South of Europe, Austria, Hungary, or Kussia. 



In respect to its importation in straw, it may come in 

 straw-cargoes, or in straw used as packing material. 

 Where this straw is sent forward to farms as it is, or as 

 slightly-used litter, or as "long" manure, quite a 

 sufficiently large proportion of the flies in the flax-seeds 

 are likely to develop to cause mischief such as we have 

 seen in the past season. On the first farm on which 

 the attack was observed near Hertford, I found on 

 enquiry that London manure had been used of mixed 

 kind, but mainly cow and horse manure in " very long " 

 condition. 



Another way in which it is at least possible that the 

 " flax-seeds " may be transmitted is in wheat or barley 

 from infested countries. This method of transmission 

 is stated not to be at all likely, because the sheathing- 

 leaf enfolds the wheat or barley stem so tightly just 

 above the joint where the pupae lie that it is considered 

 they would not fall out in the process of threshing. But 

 on investigation of the attacked straw, both in the field 

 and after being stored away, I found it very liable to 

 break at the bend, and thus expose the contained " flax- 

 seeds " ; and on October 22nd I received information 

 from Mr. Palmer, of Eevell's Hall, that after threshing 

 some of his infested barley he examined the small seeds 

 and dust sifted out of the threshed corn which fell 

 beneath the machine, and in this he found "flax-seeds " 

 to the amount of fifteen in a handful of siftings. Speci- 

 mens of these were forwarded to me. 



No pupae were found in chaff or grain. This matter 

 will be further investigated by observations from other 

 farms, and all information is solicited on the point, as it 

 is of enormous importance. 



In cleaning seeds of the fox-tail grass from those in- 

 fested by Cecidomyia of another species, it is found the 

 infested seed, being lightest, falls at a separate spot ; 



