ONION FLY ; SHALLOT FLY. lOl 



mittee of our Society are suffering much loss in beds of young Onions. 

 They first appear to be attacked by being blown in the points of the 

 plant, from four to five eggs being observable, and soon a maggot 

 begins to form, and grows to about half an inch in length ; these soon 

 attack the plant, and eat various holes in the bulb, which eventually 

 destroy the plant." Enquiry accompanied as to the nature of the 

 attack, and what could be done in the way of prevention of the 

 ravage. 



The above notes are merely given as observations showing the 

 inconvenience and loss which still arise year by year, and in many 

 places from want of information being made known generally, as to 

 simple and practicable preventive treatment, and as the crop is one of 

 great importance to all classes of growers it may be of some use to 

 enter further on the subject. 



There are various kinds of Onion Flies, of which the two species 

 which we know best here are very like in appearance, but differ (or 

 occasionally as circumstances require may differ) in their locality for 

 egg-laying, which makes a difference as to method of prevention of 

 attack. 



The two kinds are the Onion Fly, the Anthomyia ceparum of Curtis 

 (which is the same as the Phorbin cepetorum, of Meade), and another 

 kind known as the Shallot Fly, which scientifically is the Anthomyia 

 phitura of Meigen. 



As the attack of Onion maggot becomes constantly of more import- 

 ance with the increase of farm-garden growing, and the infestation has 

 been described now by many writers for many years, these descriptions 

 being largely based on the original observations of John Curtis, I give 

 the main points of these below (than which nothing can be better as 

 far as they go), and which thus may be properly acknowledged to their 

 original observer. 



Writing of the A. ceparum, John Curtis remarks : — " Of this insect 

 there are many generations during the summer, keeping up a constant 

 succession of the maggots, which are yellowish white, with a pointed 

 head and blunt tail (see figure at p. 100), and by eating into the bulb 

 it decays, and the slimy matter that is secreted by these creatures 

 causes the Onion to become eventually putrid and most offensive." 

 . . . " The eggs are stated to be deposited upon the leaves of the 

 Onions, close to the surface of the earth, and as soon as the little mag- 

 gots emerge from their shells they penetrate the outer leaf, and make 

 their way between the leaves down to the base of the bulb, where 

 they sometimes congregate in families, varying greatly in size and 

 number." 



(The above noted method of injury is the point in which the A. 

 ccpanun appears to me to differ from the A. plalura, the so-called 



