122 



llTJUEIOUS li^SECTS 



At Ji is tlie magnified insect. The body is of a dark- 

 brown color, the wings dull smoky-brown, and the legs 

 of a paler brown than the body. The maggots are shown, 

 magnified iwj and h; I shows the "flaxseed'' state. 



3. There are seyeral destructiye Ichneumon parasites 

 of the Hessian Fly, whose combined attacks are supposed 

 to destroy nine- tenths of all the flies hatched; of these the 

 most important is the Chalcid four-winged fly {8emiotel- 

 lus destructor'), which infests the "flaxseed"; and the 

 egg-parasite {Platyg aster). 



4. By sowing a part of the wheat early, and if affected 

 by the fly, plowing and sowing the rest after September 

 20th, the wheat crop may in most cases be saved. It 

 should be remembered that the first brood should be 

 thus circumvented or destroyed in order that a second 

 brood may not appear. 



5. If the wheat be only partially affected it may be 

 saved by fertilizers and careful cultivation; or a badly 

 damaged field of winter wheat may thus be recuperated 

 in the siDring. 



6. Pasturing with sheep and consequent close cropping 

 of the winter wheat in November and early December may 

 cause many of the eggs, larvae and fiaxseeds to be destroyed; 

 also, rolling the ground may have nearly the same effect. 



7. Sowing hardy varieties. The "Underbill Mediter- 

 ranean" wheat, and especially the "Clawson" variety, 

 which tillers vigorously, should be sown in preference 

 to the slighter, less vigorous kinds, in a region much 

 infested by the fly. The early August sown wheat 

 might be "Diehl," the late sown " Clawson." 



8. Of special remedies, the use of lime, soot, or salt, 

 may be recommended; also raking off the stubble; but 

 too close cutting of the wheat and burning of the stub- 

 ble are of doubtful use, as this destroys the useful para- 

 sites as well as the flies. 



