318 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



particular field be sown very early, so that it 

 may serve as a nest for the flies before the 

 rest is up, it will become completely filled 

 with them. By then turning it in with the 

 plough, they will be destroyed. If farmers 

 throughout the land would agree upon a com- 

 bined and simultaneous action in this way 

 much might be done. 



We conclude this article with the following 

 catalogue of the varieties of wheat which are 

 less liable to the ravages of the fly, which we 

 take from the work already quoted: 



That there are any kinds of wheat 

 which are perfectly " fly proof," (to use a 

 common and expressive term,) as has been 

 sometimes stated, we wholly disbelieve. 

 At times when the fly is so excessively 

 numerous as to attack barley and rye, it 

 is not probable that any of the cultivated 

 species of the genus Triticum can entirely 

 withstand its attacks. But that there are 

 kinds of this grain that escape with little 

 injury, when other kinds are almost wholly 

 destroyed, is a well established fact. — 

 What the peculiar properties possessed 

 by these varieties are, that render them 

 thus singularly invulnerable, has never 

 been investigated with that degree of ac- 

 curacy which so interesting and important 

 a subject well merits. Mr. Worth sup- 

 poses that fly proof wheats must have- 

 smooth leaves, affording no grooved or 

 channelled surface to hold the eggs of the 

 fly.— {Jimcr. Far., II, 181.) Mr. Smelt- 

 zer thinks the leaves of such wheat stand 

 out horizontally from the stem, or incline 

 downwards, instead of being erect, and 

 that the egg is thus washed to the ground 

 by rains. — {Patent Office Report, 1844, p. 

 434.) The Hon. J. Taliaferro regaids the 

 immunity as proceeding from the strength 

 and vigor of the roots, whereby the plant 

 continues to grow, notwithstanding the 

 exhaustion of its juices by the worm — 

 [Patent Office Report, 1842, App No. 1.) 

 This theory appears to us more plausible 

 and more in accordance with the facts re- 

 corded with regard to these varieties, than 

 any other which has been proposed. — 

 Other opinions less specific, might be al- 

 luded to, but all of them are opinions 

 merely, as we discover no evidence of 



their having been substantiated by a dili- 

 gent investigation of this point. The 

 reputation of the Underhill wheat has 

 already been sufficiently shown. This 

 was a bearded white-chaff, with a plump 

 yellow berry, requiring to be thoroughly 

 dried before grinding, and then producing 

 flour in quantity and quality equal to the 

 best of the other varieties. Its fly proof 

 quality was by many supposed to be 

 owing to the hardness or solidity of its 

 straw. The fly freely deposited its eggs 

 upon this wheat, but it was seldom, if 

 ever, materially injured by it. The Spel- 

 ter wheat {Triticum spelta, Linn.,) was 

 also long since remarked as never having 

 been injured by the fly. This is so veiy 

 inferior a species, that it is but little in use 

 in this country, and only cultivated be- 

 cause it will grow well on the poorest 

 soils, whether the season be wet or dry, 

 and is free from all maladies. It has a 

 long, slender, beardless head, with the 

 chaff so firmly attached to the grain, that 

 it can only be separated by passing through 

 a mill, and yields a yellowish flour. It is 

 more highly esteemed in Germany than 

 in any other country, being there preferred 

 even to all other kinds of wheat. The 

 China wheat, said originally to have been 

 found in a crate of imported China ware, 

 branches and grows very much like rye, 

 ripens at least a week earlier than other 

 varieties, yields largely, (forty or fifi}*- 

 bushels per acre, it is said,) and has never 

 been known to be injured by the flv. — 

 {Patent Office Report, 1844, p. 43.) The 

 Mediterranean wheat, in such high repute 

 for its fly proof and other qualities, was 

 introduced into Maryland in 1837. It is 

 a light red-chaff, having a long stiff beard, 

 a long, red, and very flinty berry, and 

 ripens about ten days earlier than other 

 varieties. Mr. Garnett, in his Fredericks- 

 burg address, considers its only title to be 

 designated as fly proof, is, ihat it recovers 

 better than other wheats from the depre- 

 dations of this insect. In the Southern 

 Planter, (Vol. II., p.. 243,) it is said to be 

 a coarse dark grain, much like rye, and 

 yielding such indifferent flour, that some 

 of the merchants had announced they 

 | would buy no more of it. Its straw, too, 



