50 REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 1 92 1 



in such fields can meet the demands of the midges and in addition 

 produce a crop rather than that the plants actually outgrow the 

 work of the pest. 



It therefore follows that rotation of crops is not likely to have a 

 material effect upon infestation by wheat midge, at least in restricted 

 localities. It is plainly indicated that the preparation of the soil to 

 promote a vigorous growth is of importance in the production of a 

 fairly good crop in spite of midge infestation. Furthermore, injury 

 by this insect is most likely to be severe when climatic conditions 

 favor the grain remaining soft and developing slowly at heading 

 or ripening time. 



Wheat Midge in Rye 



There is little information available respecting the work of this 

 pest in rye, though European records indicate that this insect appar- 

 ently shows a greater preference for rye than wheat and that it 

 breeds also in quack grass. It was brought to notice in 191 8 because 

 of the excessive local abundance of the maggots and examinations 

 made of badly infested fields indicated that a considerable per- 

 centage of the crop had been destroyed by the pest. The limited 

 time available before the ripening of the rye in 191 8 prevented 

 more than a very general survey of conditions. 



The small grain situation was given more attention in 1919 and 

 a number of samples of rye heads were obtained from five of the 

 more important rye-growing counties. The tabulation given below 

 summarizes these data and indicates a more general and serious 

 infestation than had hitherto been associated with rye in this 

 country, since we have commonly considered the wheat midge as 

 preeminently an enemy of wheat. 



Summary by counties, 1919 



Number 



County Localities Farms Heads Spikelets 



Albany. 2 2 14 470 



Columbia........ 6 8 64 2 046 



Rensselaer 3 3 10 299 



Saratoga 116 178 



Schenectady 2 3 21 750 



Maggots 



Grains 



poor 



18 



57i 



38 



338 



1 736 



385 



373 



261 



S3 



99 



116 



80 



155 



671 



228 



Totals 115 3 743 083 3 355 



