NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



49 



practically all the maggots were smaller than those found north of 

 Lockport, a number having hatched within a few days. The indi- 

 cations at that time were particularly favorable for a somewhat 

 general and possibly severe infestation of wheat in that section, 

 though examinations in the same area July 20th showed a compara- 

 tively light infestation quite different from what was indicated 

 nearly a month before. 



A summary of the conditions obtaining in 1920 is given in the 

 following tabulation : 



Wheat midge prevalence in 1920 



Counties 



Cattaraugus 



Cortland 



Cayuga 



Chautauqua 



Erie 



Genesee. . . 



Greene 



Livingston 



Monroe 



Niagara 



Onondaga 



Ontario 



Orleans 



Seneca 



Tompkins 



Wayne 



Summary by Counties 











Number 





















Grains 

 poor 



Localities 



Farms 



Spikelets 



Maggots 



Grains 







66 



4 



129 



6 







60 







133 



2 



3 



3 



176 



8 



367 



12 





9 



510 



12 



1 063 



32 



8 



9 



571 



50 



1 184 



58 



15 



30 



I 879 



396 



3 583 



389 



1 



1 



68 



I 



157 



2 



9 



12 



776 



209 



I 533 



184 



13 



19 



I 213 



371 



2 234 



370 



S 



8 



507 



75 



I 056 



94 



7 



10 



649 



18 



I 372 



30 



13 



35 



2 302 



253 



4 705 



222 



9 



31 



I 991 



462 



3 858 



530 



5 



10 



605 



62 



I 217 



67 



2 



3 



174 



4 



36S 



4 



IS 



19 



I 149 



218 



2 229 



210 



The above shows a relative general infestation in Genesee, Liv- 

 ingston, Monroe, Ontario and Orleans counties and on referring 

 to data of earlier years, it will be noted that these are the counties 

 frequently showing a heavier infestation than other wheat-growing 

 sections. This is also true of Hessian fly and joint worms. 



There appears to be no adequate explanation for this difference, 

 unless it be that wheat is more generally grown and consequently 

 the delicate midges have less difficulty in finding suitable grain from 

 season to season. The data in the above table as well as that for 

 preceding years show a strikingly close correlation between the 

 number of maggots and the number of poor grains of wheat. 



Available information indicates that the time of sowing, method 

 of cultivation and contiguity of infested fields appear to have little 

 influence upon the wheat midge, and while there is some range in 

 varietal infestation, even this latter is not great. The harder, stiffer, 

 bearded wheats seem to be relatively immune. It is noteworthy 

 that a comparatively large yield is obtained from well-prepared, 

 vigorous fields, apparently largely due to the fact that the grain 



