370 [Assembly 
its destruction. The measure is therefore good as a subordinate one, 
but it must fall far short of ranking as a primary one. 
11. Procuring seed from uninfested districts. —This measure also, 
is based upon the erroneous supposition that the eggs are deposited 
upon the grain. It can consequently be of no utility whatever as 
a safeguard against the Hessian fly. The measure has been fairly 
Jested in several instances without success. 
12. Sun-drying the seed. —Mr. W. II. Hill, in the Nashville Ag¬ 
riculturist of 1842, states that for fifteen years his wheat crops had 
not been injured by the Hessian fly, whilst those of his neighbors 
had suffered more or less. This immunity he attributes to two cau¬ 
ses •, exposing his seed to the sun for two days previous to sowing 
it, and sowing none but the largest and fullest grains, the others 
being separated by a sieve. Doubtless stronger roots and a more 
vigorous growth is obtained by sowing large,plump seed. We think 
that effectually drying the seed in the sun can have but one effect, 
that of retarding its germination a short time—an end that may be 
equally as well attained, and with less trouble, by deferring the 
sowing until a somewhat later period. 
13. Drawing elder bushes over the young plants. —We have here 
one of the fancies of a former day, it being supposed that elder pos¬ 
sessed an odor or some more occult property, which rendered it 
peculiarly repulsive to insects. A trial of it against the Hessian fly, 
however, soon demonstrated that it possessed little or no virtue of 
tjiat kind in reference to this insect. If any benefit ever resulted 
from it, it was probably only by dislodging and brushing off some 
of the eggs from the blades of the wheat. 
14. Sprinkling fine salt , ashes, or caustic lime over the young 
plants. —The first of these measures was proposed, from its appear¬ 
ing at one time that wheat growing upon points of land exposed to 
the sea air was less injured than that growing back from the coast. 
Neither of these remedies, however, have been attended with suc¬ 
cess, in an^ case on record, and they probably are of no service 
whatever, except as they may slightly increase the fertility, of some 
fields. There is no likelihood that the fly, its eggs, or larvae can be 
materially discommoded by them. 
