loo INSECTS INJURIOUS TO STAPLE CROPS. 



tunneled the entire length of the stalk in which it was" 

 on May 28th. 



liemeclies. — *' The most obvious method of combating 

 the insect is to attack it while it is in the stubble; that is, 

 some time between harvest aud the following May. If the 

 stubble can be burned in the autumn, the larvae in it can 

 .be destroyed. The same thing could be accomplished by 

 plowing the stubble under, which would prevent the escape 

 of the adult flies. But as it is (often) customary ... to sow 

 grass-seed with wheat, it is feared that the plowing under 

 of infested stubble would rarely be practicable; and it is 

 also questionable if the burning of the stubble could be 

 thoroughly done without destroying the young grass. It 

 would seem probable, therefore, that if this insect becomes 

 a very serious pest, it will be necessary . . . either to sow 

 grass-seed with oats and burn or plow under all the wheat- 

 stubble, or to suspend growing wheat for one year, in order 

 to destroy the insects by starvation." . 



The Hessian Fly {Cccidomyia destructor Say). 



Of the injurious insects peculiar to the wheat-plant the 

 Hessian Fly is undoubtedly the most widely distributed 

 and most destructive. Very often it is responsible for the 

 loss of from one-fourth to one-half of the crop; and one- 

 tenth of the whole yield, or from 55 to 65 million bushels, 

 is estimated to represent the amount lost by its annual 

 ravages. Excessive injury by this as by most other insects 

 comes periodically. Thus '^Hessian Fly years" have 

 occurred in New York in 1779, 1817, 1844, 1845, 1846, 

 and 1877, and in the three last years commencing with 

 1899. In 184G it has been ''estimated that the loss from 

 the pest in western New York was not less than 500,000 



