14 
to be few in number, but in the fall it was found to have greatly 
increased, and appeared in great numbers on the green wheat, 
and was observed to do most injury to that which had been most 
early sown.” (Havens, p. 71.) 
Public attention was now becoming strongly directed towards 
this formidable foe. The New York Society for Promoting Useful 
Knowledge, issued an advertisement, requesting information re- 
specting it. Two communications were soon received by them, 
and were directed to be inserted in the secular papers. These are 
the first published documents relating to the fly, that have occur- 
red to our notice. They are copied into Carey’s American Mu- 
seum (Phila. vol. i., p. 324-326). One of them, dated New 
York, September 1, 1786, gives a brief but pretty accurate ac- 
count of the situation and habits of the insect, particularly in the 
fall and spring. The other, dated Hunterdon, New Jersey, Janu- 
ary 1, 1787, after hastily alluding to its habits, proposes as reme- 
dies, late sowing, on rich land; drawing elder bushes over the 
young plants; and passing over the wheat with a heavy roller to 
crush the worms. 
In the Pennsylvania Mercury of June 8, 1787, is published a 
letter from Col. George Morgan, addressed to the Philadelphia 
society for promoting agriculture. He suggests the importance 
of their appointing some competent person to fully investigate the 
habits of the Hessian fly, and the remedies to protect from it, 
after the example of the Paris Academy of Sciences, which had 
commissioned Messrs. Duhamel and Tillet to enquire out the his- 
tory of the Angoumois grain moth; he alludes to contradictory 
reports respecting the Underhill wheat, copies the paragrahs al- 
ready given, from M. Chateauvieux, as “ answering in every re- 
spect to our Hessian fly,” and gives an account of the ravages of 
the insect in his vicinity, and its habits so far as observed. 
The Mercury of September 14th, contains another letter from 
Col. Morgan, correcting some inaccuracies in his previous com- 
munication, and giving some additional interesting items. He 
says, “those who are doubtful whether the fly is in their neigh- 
borhood, or cannot find the eggs or nits in the wheat, may satisfy 
themselves by opening their windows at night, and burning a 
