325 
No. 150.] 
former period- Had Dr. Mitchell, therefore, received definite 
information upon this point, it would doubtless have been coupled 
with the statement, that it was noticed at or before the harvest in 
that year, and consequently anterior to the arrival of the Hessian 
troops—which fact, he, confident as he was that this was an indige¬ 
nous insect, would not have failed triumphantly to have stated. It 
is hence believed, that Dr. M. has assumed this date, from the cur¬ 
rent report that this insect was introduced by the Hessian soldiers, 
knowing this to have been the year of their arrival. 
biomthe “flaxseeds” casually lodged in the imported straw, 
only a few flies would probably be evolved, to deposit their eggs 
upon the young wheat in the autumn of 1776; nor would these 
have multiplied to such an extent in the following spring as to at¬ 
tract attention at the time of harvest? But, increasing with each 
successive brood, by the harvest of the following year, 1778, we 
might anticipate its being observed, and by a year thereafter, it 
would become so numerous that its real character would no longer 
be in doubt. And in accordance with this, we are informed by 
Colonel Morgan, that “ the fly made its first appearance in 1778;” 
and Mr. Clark, who in 1787 went to Long Island expressly to 
gather authentic information respecting this insect, says in his re¬ 
port, “ on the best inquiry I could make, during my stay there, I 
satisfied myself in the following particulars, namely: first, that 
the Hessian fly made its first appearance there about the year 1779, 
so as to injure, and in some cases to destroy their crops of wheat.” 
An anonymous writer in Carey's Museum, (vol. i, p. 143,) gives 
the same year as about the period of its discovery. 
We therefore regard the year 1779 as most probably the date 
when its ravages actually commenced. The crops of wheat were 
severely injured or wholly destroyed by it in Kings and Richmond 
counties, during several of the following years; and each succeed¬ 
ing generation regularly enlarged the sphere of its devastations in 
every direction. 
Quite early in its history, the important fact became accidentally 
discovered, that certain varieties of wheat are capable of withstand¬ 
ing its attacks. In the year 1781, a prize schooner loaded with wheat 
