296 
ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW YORK 
perhaps six weeks ago and spread rapidly in some fields, while in 
others there may be a few yards or even only a few feet ruined, 
and in others again to a considerable extent. On one field of thirty- 
five acres in this neighborhood there is considerable of it ruined, 
and although it looked the best I ever saw last fall and early this 
spring, I am afraid there will little of it make a crop. It is a 
very small, active, white worm; when looked at through a glass it 
appears to have two feet at each end ; it is exceedingly bad to find, 
especially now; I have a friend trying to find some of them to 
send you in this letter. He tried yesterday without success, and is 
trying again to-day. I am well aware the same worm damaged 
my crop in 1844 more than the Hessian fly. I noticed some 
worms of the same kind in 1844, and from the appearance of the 
wheat they have destroyed now, I know it was these that half 
ruined my crop in 1844. They have now quit their depredations 
for this season. The roots of the wheat have sent out new shoots 
but it will never come to much (some of it, much of it to nothing). 
A great deal of mine, in 1844 never headed out. I sowed very 
early in 1843 and I have no doubt that was the cause of failure 
by that worm then and also now. I never began sowing before 
the 20th of September from 1831, until within a few years past, 
1S43 excepted, hoping to get my wheat to ripen early, and I 
notice it is all the earliest sown wheat that is affected by the 
worm, or at least that most forward in the fall. In 1843 I sowed 
early so as to have done before going to the State Fair at Roches¬ 
ter, which was the cause of reducing my wheat crop about 1,000 
bushels. I have no doubt it is very unsafe, this sowing in the end 
of August or first of September; at least I know it is so here¬ 
abouts. 
I have only a few very small spots taken by worm in my wheat. 
It did not come up until the 20th day of September, or at least 
not much of it. On fourteen acres on which I sowed a barrel of salt 
to the acre, there is none, while eleven acres adjoining and in the 
same field, has several spots taken by the worm, and even up to 
the division furrow, between the salted and unsalted. The 
fourteen and eleven acres were both sown at the same time, and 
both early, but dry weather set in and it was long in vegetating, 
which I think saved the crop. I have very little doubt but many 
crops have been destroyed by the same worm and the blame laid 
to Hessian fly. They are exceedingly bad to find, and as there is 
almost every year some little Ilessian fly, if we find a few we aro 
apt to think they do the deed or do all the mischief. I am now 
