224 
The farmer who recommends the remedy is a Virginian, and he 
writes to a local paper as follows: 
“I hear there is much ‘fly’ in the wheat that was sown early this 
fall. To correct this evil I offer the following remedy, which I and 
others have successfully tested for a good many seasons: Sow of 
air-slacked or water-slacked lime one or two bushels per acre broad¬ 
cast over the wheat in the early morning on the dew, or over night 
on a clear evening, when there is reason to expect dew or frost. 
As it dissolves it will form a lye which will follow the leaf towards 
the root and destroy the chrysalis of the fly near that point. 
“The sower must always sow with the wind, else the lime will be 
blown back in his face and eyes and on his clothes. And he must 
grease his hands, face and nostrils with lard, which renders con¬ 
tact with the lime innocuous. If two or more sow they should sow 
en echelon, at such a distance that the rear shall cast no lime on 
the front. A very good but not indispensable plan is to use tea 
scoops—diminutive sugar scoops—that will hold a double handfull. 
It enables one better to take up and measure the quantity to be 
applied. This is an application so simple and cheap as to dis¬ 
credit it with the many who are often looking to be told ‘some 
great thing.’ I can only say that I know it to be effectual as a 
remedy, and that in no case can it do harm.” 
It is evident that such remedies as these should be applied before 
the insect transforms into the flaxseed state, as the hard, dense 
pupa case is impervious to ordinary appliances such as would kill 
the maggots. 
Rolling the ground to kill the larvce and flaxseeds .—Practical men 
advise rolling the ground both to keep it moist and in order to de¬ 
stroy the eggs, larvae, and some of the flaxseeds. This may be in 
some cases worth trying, but we should think that full as much in¬ 
jury would be done to the wheat plants as to the minute larvae and 
eggs upon them. 
Cutting the grain close to the ground. —This has been sometimes 
practiced. A writer in the Ohio Farmer makes the following state¬ 
ment in favor of this plan: 
E. C. Green, Medina County, Ohio, writes: “The Hessian-fly ap¬ 
peared in this vicinity, but has done but little damage. The wheat 
commenced to fall over before it was cut, and the eggs or larvae 
were found above the first or second joint. The damage on five 
acres of wheat was probably five or six bushels. By reaping low 
and raking the stubble was all saved.” 
A serious objection to reaping low is that many insects of the 
summer brood in the flaxseed state are, as Mr. S. S. Piathvon 
claims, carried to the barn or stack, beyond the reach of remedy. 
From the straw thus harvested the fly would emerge before it was 
threshed, “and might even pass through a machine without injury.” 
In this manner the fly has possibly been distributed through different 
sections of the country. 
Burning the stubble .—Although this remedy has been advocated, 
it will be seen to be worse than useless when we reflect that after 
all the artificial means taken to reduce the number of the Hessian- 
fly, nature’s method of checking its undue increase is far more 
important and thorough-going; we refer to the diffusion and multi- 
