16 FAMILY RECEIPTS. 



SIMPLE METHOD OV DESTROYING THE HESSIAN FLY. 



The Hessian Flj deposits its eggs on the wheat ear 

 before it is reaped; the egg is so small as to be invisible 

 to the naked eye, bat may be distinctly seen with a 

 microscope; sometimes one grain of wheat will be ob- 

 served to liavc several of these eggs on it. They are 

 attached to the wheat by a glutinous substance, de- 

 posited around them by the parent lly, by which they 

 arc held so firmly on the surface, as not to be easily 

 removed hy the motion of reaping, threshing, &c. 

 Shortly after the seeds begin to germinate in the soil, 

 the genial heat of the season brings the young dy from 

 its egg in the form of a very small maggot (as is the case 

 with all insects;) these little maggots deposit themselves 

 at the root of the stalk, to the seed of which the eggs 

 had been attached, between the stem and the lowest 

 blade or leaf, where they may be discovered during the 

 month of j\Iay and beginning of June quietly reposing: 

 here they remain until tlie warmth of the season brings 

 them to maturity, v/hen they commence eating the sub- 

 stance to which they are attached. It is not until this 

 period that tlieir destructive effects arc visible, by the 

 wheat becomins: withered and bli2;hted. This accounts 

 for the fact that wheat, which is attacked by these de- 

 structive insects, presents a healthy appearance in the 

 month of June, the period at which the embryo-fly 

 begins to use food. 



Now it is evident that if the eggs of this fly can be 

 destroyed on the seed vv^heat, by any process that will 

 not also destroy the vegetative quality of the grain, the 

 ruinous effects will be avoided. — This can be done by 

 the following very simple process. "Soak the seed 

 wheat in water for twelve hours; spread it out on the 

 barn floor, so as to allow the superabundant water to 

 escape: then take fresh slacked lime and mix it among 

 the wheat in quantity suflicient to have every grain co- 

 vered with the lime, taking care to stir the wheat well 

 with a shovel, so that no particle may escape coming in 

 full contact with the lime, which, when thus applied, 

 will in a short time destroy the eggs, and consequently 

 preserve the grain from destruction." 



