REMEDIES AGAINST THE HESSIAN FLY. 585 



volume of " The Cultivator," published in Albany in Au- 

 gust, 1841. 



The best modes of preventing the ravages of the Hes- 

 sian fly are thus stated by Mr. Herrick.* "The stouter 

 varieties of wheat ought always to be chosen, and the land 

 should be kept in good condition. If fell wheat is sown 

 late, some of the eggs will be avoided, but the risk of 

 winter-killing the plants will be incurred. If cattle are 

 permitted to graze the wheat-fields during the fall, they 

 will devour many of the eggs. A large number of the 

 pupae may be destroyed by burning the wheat-stubble im- 

 mediately after harvest, and then ploughing and harrow- 

 ing the land. This method will undoubtedly do much 

 good. As the Hessian fly also lays its eggs, to some ex- 

 tent, on rye and barley, these crops should be treated in 

 a similar manner." On mature reflection, I am confident 

 that burning the stubble, as originally recommended by 

 Mr. Havens, and advised by Mr. Herrick, is the very best 

 method of getting rid of the Hessian fly. It is true that, 

 by so doing, many of the numerous parasites of the insect 

 will also be destroyed. But this need not give us any 

 concern ; for if we can succeed in putting a stop to the 

 ravages of the Hessian fly, by these or any other means, 

 we shall not have occasion to mourn the loss of the para- 

 sites. It is found that luxuriant crops more often escape 

 injury than those that are thin and light. Steeping the 

 grain and rolling it in plaster or lime tend to promote a 

 rapid and vigorous growth, and will therefore prove bene- 

 ficial. Sowing the fields with wood ashes, in the propor- 

 tion of two bushels to an acre, in the autumn, and again 

 in the first and last weeks in April, and as late in the 

 month of May as the sower can pass over the wheat with- 

 out injury to it, has been found useful.f Favorable re- 

 ports have been made upon the practice of allowing sheep 



* American Journal of Science, Vol. XLI. p. 158. 

 t -Cultivator, Vol. V. p. 59. 

 74 



