66 WHEAT CULTURE. 



face, protected by the leaves. One maggot seldom des- 

 troys a plant, but three or four deplete it of its juices, 

 and it dies. It takes five or six weeks for the larvaB to 

 attain full size. At this time the skin hardens, becomes 

 brown, and to the naked eye the insect has the appear- 

 ance of a small flaxseed. In this condition it remains 

 until spring, when the fly comes forth, and goes through 

 the same operations as before." 



A dressing of three to five bushels of salt, to the acre, 

 in the fall, and another in early spring, it is said, will 

 effectually destroy them ; and that lightly covering the 

 seed in rich, friable soil, is more unfavorable to their 

 growth than the opposite. A Virginia farmer recom- 

 mends the sowing on wheat of four to five bushels of 

 lime, to the acre, as a remedy for the Hessian fly. Sow 

 while the dew is on the plant, and the lime will be dis- 

 solved, forming a lye, which runs down the blade to the 

 root, thus destroying the insect. 



Plaster sowed on the growing crop, spring and fall, is 

 said to be very useful. 



WHEAT MIDGES. 



Mr. Klippart speaks of two insects known as Midges 

 the red midge (Cecidomyia tmtici), a species of the same 

 genus as the Hessian fly ; and another, the yellow midge, 

 a small fly. They both prey upon the head of the wheat, 

 in the chaff, and on the kernel, while the grain is green, 

 and cause it to blast before coming to maturity. 



Eich culture, strong growth, with early planting and 

 early harvesting, will do much to prevent the evils done 

 by these insects. Wheat sown in wide drills and hoed, 

 by hand or horse-hoes, gives a favorable opportunity to 

 apply lime or sulphur to the heads of the grain, by 

 sprinkling, which cannot be done in ordinary culture ; 

 and those articles are destructive to the midges, if applied 



