isrsassiaei 
80 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
In five or six weeks, the larvoe stop feeding, 
the outer skin turns bro« n, and within this browa 
and leathery case the pupte pass the winter — 
generally a little below the surface of the earth. 
In April and May, the fly is again lound depo- 
siting her eggs on the same wheat, (viz: that 
Irom grain sown the preceding autumn,) and 
also on the spring wheat which has just come 
up. These eggs hatch, and the larvae ihcrelrom 
operate in the same manner as those of the 
aulamn previous. These larv® become pupm 
about the middle of June. The flies which lay 
their eggs in the .spring are probably in part Irom 
the pupre which became such late in the pre- 
ceding autumn, and partly from pupaj contained 
in stubble left the preceding summer. The pe- 
riod of the existence of the Hessian fly in the 
pupa or flax-seed state is exceedingly variable. 
After much observation, my own opinion is, 
that, in general, pupae which become such late 
in the autumn evolve the winged insect partly 
during the next spring, and partly in the summer 
and autumn following. Those pupae which be- 
cocr.c such about June, evolve the winged insect 
partly during the next autumn, and partly during 
the year succeeding. 
The Hessian fly is attacked by numerous foes, 
v/hich, in various stages of its existence, destroy 
a large part of every generation. Whether it 
has, in its winged state, any enemies, except the 
ordinary destroyers of flies, 1 know not. The 
eggs, while lying on the leaves of the young 
plant, are visited by a very minute four-winged 
insect, (a species of platygaster,) which lays in 
them its own eggs. From later observation, it 
appears that, occasionally, as many as five or 
six eggs of this parasite are laid in a single egg 
of the Hessian fly. The latter egg hatches and 
becomes a pupa, as usual ; but from the pupa 
case, instead of the Hessian fly, issues one or 
more of these minute parasites. 
The pupae, while imbedded in the stalk, are 
attacked by at least three different minute para- 
sites, (four-winged hymenopcera,) which, boring 
through the sheath of the stalk, deposite their 
eggs in the body within ; and the latter is finally 
devoured by the parasite larvae. These are the 
principal means by which the multiplication of 
the Hessian fly is lestrained within tolerable 
limits. 
Although the loss annually sustained by the 
wheat-growers of this country, in consequence 
of the ravages of the Hessian fly, is severe, yet 
it is well nigh impossible to ascertain even its 
probable amount. As long since as 1800, Dr. 
S. L. Mitchell, of New York, affirmed that the 
“insect is more formidable to us than would be 
an army of twenty thou.sand Hessians.’’ In 
1804, President Dwight, of Yale college, re- 
marked that “this insect is feeble and helpless in 
the extreme, defenceless against the least ene- 
my, and crushed by the most delicate touch ; 
yet, for many years, it has taxed this country, 
annually, more, perhaps, than a million of dol- 
lars.” At the present day, the amount of the 
injury inflicted probably far exceeds what it 
was forty years since ; and to discover some 
feasible mode of exterminating the insect, or at 
least of arresting its ravages, is an object of 
great importance to this country. 
Various remedial measures have, from time 
to time, been proposed; most of w'hich I will 
here state. 
1st. Steeping the seed-wheat in elder juice, 
solution of nitre, boiling water, or other liquids ; 
or rolling in lime, ashes, or some other sub- 
stance, in order to kill the eggs. But as the eggs 
of the Hessian fly are not on the seed, they will 
never be hurt by such processes. So far as these 
means give vigor to the plant, they may be of 
some little service. 
2d. Sowing seed obtained from places in 
which the in-sect has not made its appearance, 
(American Museum, iv, 47.) This recommen- 
dation also assumes the error, that the eggs are 
laid on the grain, and will be found, as it has 
often proved, useless as respects this insect. 
3d. Abstaining rigidly throughout the whole 
grain-growing region of North America from 
planting wheat, rye, barley, or oats, for one. 
two or three years, and thus starve out the in- 
sect! This plan might be effectual, but would 
obviously involve some inconveniences. 
4th. Manuring the land very highly, so that 
the plants will grow vigorously, and be sooner 
out ofthe way of the insect, and also better able 
to resist it. This proposal has some merit, but 
does nothing towards destroying the insect. 
5th. Sowing some variety of bearded wheat, 
flint wheat, &c., supposed to have a harder and 
more solid stalk than common wheat, and bet- 
ter able to withstand the impression of the lar- 
vae. A suggestion of some value, but, equally 
with 4ih, leaves the inseet unharmed. 
flth. Fumigating the wheat field, and sprink- 
ling the young wheat with infusion of elder and 
with other steeps. If successful, which is quite 
uncertain, it is plain that these measures are 
impracticable on a large scale. 
7th. Sowing winter w’heat very late in the 
autumn, so that the fly shall have mostly disap- 
peared before the plants are large enough to be 
attacked. No doubt this plan is to some extent 
useful, but the wheat sown late is in great dan- 
ger of perishing during the winter. The fly 
will of course attack it in the spring, yet one 
attack will do less damage than two. 
8th. Sowing oats early in autumn on the in- 
tended wheat-field. It is supposed the fly will 
lay its eggs on the plani ; then let them be plow- 
ed in, and the wheat sown. The fly having 
nearly exhausted itself on the oats, the w'heai 
will suffer less. This plan tnay possibly be of 
some partial utility. 
9th. Drawing a heavy roller over the young 
wheat both in autumn and spring. This pro- 
cess must be useful in crushing many eggs and 
larvae. 
lOth. Permitting sheep and other animals to 
graze the wheat-fields w'hile the insects are lay- 
ing their eggs. By these means, large numbers 
of the eggs will be devoured with the leaves. 
11th. Burning the stubble immediately after 
harvest, and plowing in the remains. This is 
by far the most practicable atrd effectual mode 
of exterminating the insect, or, at least, o! check- 
ing its increase. In the stubble are many puf aa 
ofthe fly, at this time complelelv in our power; 
if, in reaping, the stubble is left high, the fire 
would sw’eep rapidly over a field, and destroy 
nearly all these pupae; the tew which escaped 
the fire, would, by the plow, be buried so deep 
as to perish in the earth; mere plowing in oi 
the stubble must be highly useful. If the two 
recommendations last named were thoroughly 
put in practice over the whole country — nof on- 
ly upon w’heat, but also on rye and barley, and 
any other plants attacked by the Hessian fly — 
the ravages of this insect would, in all probabil- 
ity, ere long, become scarcely wmrthy of notice. 
It may not be improper, in this place, to state 
that the foregoing account of the habits of the 
Hessian fly is derived from my own long-con- 
tinued observations, and that I have moreover 
endeavored to consult all the papers of any im- 
portance which have been published on the sub- 
ject. 
There are in the United Stales, besides the 
Hessian fly, several other insects which attack 
the w'heat while in the field. Those persons who 
assert that the former lays its eggs on the grain 
in the spike oi head, have undoubtedly mistaken 
for the Hessian fly some one of these other in- 
sects. The following brief notices of the more 
important of these enemies, I have abridged 
from the accounts comprised in Dr. T. W. Har- 
ris’s “ Treatise on some of the insects of New Eng- 
land, lohich are injurious to vegetation (Camb. 
1842 ; 459 pages, 8vo.,) a w'ork of great interest 
and value. 
In it the inquirer will find a faithful digest of 
all the reliable information we have on the nu- 
merous insects which injure our plants, fruits, 
and trees; and, in addition, he will learn the 
means of defence, so far as any have been dis- 
covered. The book ougnt to be in the hands of 
every intelligent farmer and orchardist. 
1. A grain moth (Angoumois moth — alucita 
cerealella, Oliv.) probably the same as described 
by Col. Carter, in the Transactions of the Amer- 
ican Pkilosifhical Society, and 
by J. Lorain, in Mease’s Archives of Useful 
Knowledge, volume ii, 1812. It is about three- 
eighths of an inch long when its wings are 
shut. The. upper wings are of a light brown 
satin color and lustre, covering the body hori- 
zontally above, but drooping a little at the sides. 
The lower wings and the rest of the body are 
ash-colored. The moth lays her eggs usually 
on the young and lender grain in the field; each 
caterpillar from these eggs selects a single 
grain, burrows into it, and remains concealed, 
devouring the meal wfithin. Subjecting the 
grain to a heat of 167® Fahr., lor twelve hours, 
in an oven, will kill the insect. 
2. The English wheat fly {lifula tritxci, Kir- 
by,) is a small orange-colored two-winged gnat, 
which lays its eggs in the head of wheat while 
blossoming. The maggots irom these eggs arc 
without feet, tapering towards the head, at first 
perfectly transparent and colorless, but soon be- 
coming orange-yellow; and when mature, are 
each about an eighth of an inch long. It is 
supposed they devour the pollen, and prevent 
the setting of the grain; the maggots fall from 
the spike to the earth, within which they under- 
go their final transformations. This insect t or 
one very similar to it) has done much damage 
in the northern States and in Canada for several 
years past; but no effectual mode of preventing 
the mischief, or of destroying the insect, appears 
to have been devised. 
3. The wheat caterpillar. — This is a span- 
worm of brownish color, with twelve feet — six 
near each end of the body. It feeds on the ker- 
nel in the milky state, and also devours the ger- 
minating end of the ripened grain. It is said to 
be found in the chaff when the grain is threshed. 
We have little certain knowledge concerning 
the parent inject or its transformations. 
In addition to these three, there are probably 
other insects more or less injurious to our wheat 
crops. Much has been published in our jour- 
nals relative to these depredators ; yet their ha- 
bits are imperfectly understood, and many of the 
accounts are confused and contradictory. It is 
greatly to be desired that all who have the op- 
portunity should endeavor to make careful ob- 
servations, and communicate them to the public. 
These observations must be accompanied by 
accurate descriptions of the insect under exami- 
nation, and in its various stages ; otherwise, 
most of the labor will be spent in vain. 
GKAUE® HILL-SIBE BITCHES. 
From the Farmers’ Register. 
In the February number of the Register, p. 88> 
I find an article headed “ Scraps of Farmers’ 
Conversation, by the Editor.” The conversa- 
tion of Mr. Old I propose to notice. He is op- 
posed to the .system o! graded hill-side ditches 
as a preventive to the washing of the land in 
heavy falls of rain, because they will not ejfect 
the object desired — that on a hill-side having se- 
veral ditches, if the one near the top should 
break, the quantify of water thereby increased 
in the next, together with the force with which 
it would descend, the second would break, and, 
for the same reason, all the rest; consequently 
more injury w’ould be done to the land than if 
they had not been made. He gives an instance 
of one of his ditches, that he had been so parti- 
cular with as to attend to in person, having been 
broken by the lodgment oi a few blades of fod- 
der, which seems to be conclusive that the sys- 
tem was a bad one. If Mr. Old bad given the 
grade and depth of his ditches, we should have 
bpen better able to form an opinion whether he 
had given the plan a fair trial or not ; but we 
are left in the dark in these particulars, as well 
as to the distance between them and the manner 
his rows were laid off; whether in checks up 
and down the hill, or drills parallel with the 
ditches, or horizontally. For the last ten years 
I have practised the system of graded hill-side 
ditches, accompanied with the horizontal culti- 
vation, as I believe w'ith great success in pre- 
venting my land from washing. 1 must, there- 
fore, ask leave to differ with Mr. Old. If our 
