STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
827 
MIDGE. REMEDIES. for DESTROYING THE LARV.E. 
net a moment, they (as I think) will mostly escape before any of 
the midge flies will be ready to do so; whereby, with a little 
skill acquired by practice, we shall probably be able to let the 
useful insects go free and retain for destruction those only which 
are noxious. , 
2d. Destroying the larvae. Prof. Henslow deeming it was only 
those larvae which remained in the wheat ears and were carried 
into the barn from which the flies were hatched, ascertained that 
when the grain was threshed, with a suitable sieve, he was able 
to separate all the larvae from the grain and chaff. He accord¬ 
ingly recommended that such a “ midge sieve ” should be attached 
to the winnowing machine or fanning mill, in ordhr that these 
larvae might be thus separated and committted to the flames. 
And Mr. Curtis, in letters, directs my attention particularly to 
this measure. 1 notice it in this manner, that our English friends 
may be aware we have not overlooked this important remedy. 
I notice it to say that this very thing which Prof. Henslow recom¬ 
mends to have attached to the winnowing machines of England — 
this midge sieve, placed in an inclined position, like the root ot 
a house—has formed a part of every winnowing machine in this 
country, ever since my recollection. By this sieve any dust or 
small seeds of weeds or grass which happen to be among the 
grain, become separated and fall into a box underneath, and con¬ 
stitute what we term “ the screenings ” of the machine. And 
when the midge came into our wheat, its larvae were always sep¬ 
arated from the grain, forming a principal part ot these screen¬ 
ings. It was the common custom to empty these screenings out 
at the barn door, until in my Essay sixteen years ago 1 directed 
attention pointedly to this subject; whereby our farmers, on 
coming to know that these screenings thus thrown into the yard 
produced a swarm of flies to invade their wheat the following 
June, have quite generally, I believe, come into the practice ot 
effectually destroying them, either by burning them or feeding 
them to the poultry or swine. This should never be omitted 
when the yellow larvae of the midge are observed to form a poi- 
tion of these screenings. 
As the larvae which are brought into the barn can thus readily 
be destroyed, it is evident if that portion of them which descends 
to the ground before harvest and remains in the wheat field can 
in any way be destroyed also, ive have it in our power to cut oil 
