(24 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
abundantly and thus avoid a serious decrease in yield. A badly 
drained soil, where conditions favor a moist growth of succulent 
straw, appears to be quite favorable to the fly and in some: 
such places the injury was much more manifest than on higher 
well drained land. Prof. Webster of Chio, who has studied this. 
insect for over 15 years, believes that four fifths of Hessian fly 
injury can be prevented by a better system of agriculture. 
Trap strips. This device has long been recommended by 
entomologists and was earnestly advocated by Dr Fitch but 
there has been considerable difficulty in getting farmers to take: 
up the idea and go to the trouble of preparing a little ground,,. 
sowing it early and then turning it under soon after the flies. 
have deposited their eggs. Many wheat growers prefer to wait - 
and take their chances on the crop not being seriously injured. 
by the fly. S. W. Wadhams of Garland N. Y. made a test of 
this plan with most excellent results. Aug. 25, 1990 he 
sowed two widths of the drill round a 20 acre field and then 
sowed the remainder on September 27 and 28 and just before 
the last sowing came through the ground, his decoy strip was. 
plowed under, put in condition and resown. At the time of 
plowing he found that practically every leaf and stalk of the: 
wheat was completely covered with the eggs of the fly, so that 
the strip turned brown and myriads of the flies swarmed up in. 
front and over the horses as they walked over it. The result 
was that in 1901 he harvested 214 bushels of no. 6 wheat an acre.. 
This yield was secured when other fields of no. 6 wheat were: 
so badly injured as to produce from three fourths of a crop to: 
almost nothing. Mr Wadhams sowed another trap strip Aug.. 
20, 1901 and on September 14 he found that the young wheat 
plants were being rapidly covered with eggs of the Hessian fly,. 
and he now suggests that the trap or decoy strips be plowed: 
under about nightfall or in the cool of early evening, at a time 
when the few remaining flies, if any be alive, would naturally 
be resting on the wheat plants, and the chance of covering them 
deeply would therefore be immensely increased. Agricultural’ 
practice in western New York does not always admit of the: 
