OF THE PARM AN'D GARDEN. 121 



causing the stalks to swell and the plant to turn yellow 

 and die. By the end of November, or from thirty to 

 forty days after the wheat is sown, they assume the " flax- 

 seed " state, and may, on removing the lower leaves, be 

 found as little brown, oval, cylindrical, smooth bodies, a 

 little smaller than grains of rice. They remain in the 

 wheat until during warm weather in April, when the 

 larva rapidly transforms into the pupa within its flax- 

 seed-skin, the fly emerging from the " flaxseed" case about 



Fig. 85. — THE HESSIAN FLT ( Oecidomyia destructor, Say.) 



it Fly of natural size; h, the same, magnified; ^, fc, Maggots, magnified*, 2, tlie 

 " flaxseed " state, enlarged. 



the end of April. The eggs laid by this first or spring 

 brood of flies, soon hatch; the second brood of maggots live 

 but a few weeks; the "flaxseed" state is soon undergone 

 and the autumn or second brood of flies appear in August. 

 (In some cases there may be two autumn broods, the 

 earliest autumn brood giving rise to a third set of flies in 

 September.) The engraving (fig. 85), shows the differ- 

 ent states of the insect. The fly of the natural size is 

 given at i, its spread of wings being only half an inch. 

 6 



