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a fortnight since, to investigate the two chief pests of the 

 Onion bed, take this opportunity to present a partial Report. 

 The short space of two weel^s is barely sufficient to enter 

 upon the subject, to do justice to which, an entire year would 

 but suffice. Your Committee can say however that they 

 have traversed the fields infested with these enemies, in com- 

 pany with the owners of the land, have inspected the ravages 

 occasioned thereby and have brought away with them speci- 

 imens for examination. 



1. The fii-st and most injurious of these destructive 

 agents, viz : tlie worm or maggot has long been known to 

 science. (?) It belongs to the dipterous insects or the two 

 winged flies^ described we think by Messrs. Kirby & Spence, 

 as Scatophagi cepanmi, but now known among naturalists 

 as AntJiomyia ceparvm, names indicative of the habits of the 

 insect under our consideration ; and may be called the 

 onion flower-fly or perhaps l)etter, onion-plant fly. AYehave 

 ascertained that the ravages of this noisome insect are observ- 

 able very soon after the onion seed germinates and begins to 

 grow ; and they may be perceived in different plants through 

 the entire season, oi- until the bulbs have grown to consider- 

 able size. Even Avhen no larger than peas as many as five 

 or six maggots are sometimes found in a single bulb. The 

 old onions wliich have been planted out for seed, are likewise 

 liable to their attacks ; and we were informed that it is not 

 uncommon to detect upwards of fifty maggots in one of them. 



In a field of young onions, the drooping or prostration of 

 an occasional plant in the rows, and the yellow and dying 

 condition of it, readily indicate the presence of the foe. 

 Examining such as present this appearance, it will be seen 

 that the entire heart of the onion has been eaten out by one 

 or more of these voracious creatures. A similar appearance, 

 is observable throughout the season in other plants of a larger 

 size, although some of them thus attacked may ha^e only 

 lost a few of the outer coats of the bulbs, and notwithstand- 

 ing this mutilation have grown to considerable perfection 

 during the summer. 



We ascertained that this insect spreads itself so rapidly 

 over whole beds and even fields that they soon become 

 worthless ; and plowing up the spots for other crops has been 

 resorted to by our Danvers friends. In some cases as in 

 Newbury, we were told, that the onion cultivation has been 



