62 CORN AND GRASS. 



a little above a knot of the stalk. This is often the second from the 

 ground, and the stem being weakened at the point of suction, gives 

 way and bends sharply down at an acute angle, thus allowing the ear 

 of Wheat, or Barley, to be injured by lying on the ground, and further 

 damage and difficulty in gathering the crop is caused by the confused 

 state of the straw. 



From the experience of the six years since this attack was first 

 known amongst us as a crop pest, there appears every reason to believe 

 that (unless possibly from passing circumstances, such as the unusually 

 high temperature of the summer of 1887), we need not fear it as a 

 generally prevalent and serious infestation, so long as our present 

 methods of autumn cultivation, or rather date of autumn sowing, of 

 "Wheat are continued. By this we are spared the mass of attack on 

 the young winter Wheat, by which not only the plant itself is killed, 

 but a winter generation established to set up flies for the summer 

 attack, for which otherwise there would have been an infinitely lesser 

 amount of fly parentage to supply the eggs. 



Another point of prevention, so important that I would most 

 earnestly beg the attention of all farmers who wish to save recurrence 

 of attack in case of infestation, to be directed to it, is that on no 

 account ivhatever should they alluw themselves to be induced to save infested 

 screeninr/s. 



We have found from the beginning of observation of attack, that 

 the little flat brown chrysalids, so like " flax-seeds " (see fig. at p. 61), 

 that they go by this name, are thrown in threshing amongst the sift- 

 ings, also amongst the light Corn, or, as it is sometimes called, "shag." 



In one case the flax-seeds are easily destroyed with the rubbish, in 

 the other are easily so consumed as to be got rid of; but on the 

 destruction of these germs of coming attack rests very greatly our hope 

 of safety in cases of bad infestation. 



This matter is one that ought to be carefully attended to, as it is 

 from time to time brought forward, especially by those who have not 

 practical knowledge of the agricultural bearing of the case, that, as 

 many of the flax-seeds either are, or very likely are, infested by the 

 maggot of a Parasite Fly, ive ought to save all the flax-seeds ! in order 

 that the parasites which may be in them may hatch out, and go to the 

 fields and infest Hessian Fly maggots. 



But it is never mentioned, in this calculation, that before the para- 

 site can do this, the Hessian Fly must have been beforehand ; the 

 brood out of the saved Hessian Fly chrysalids (which we could easily 

 have killed) must have caused another attack to our Corn, their 

 maggots done all the usual mischief, and ourselves got no benefit at 

 all, except that we have nursed up a new supply of Hessian Fly chry- 

 salids of which a portion may be infested by parasites. 



