HESSIAN FLY. 
105 
was present, and a small bonus promised to the farm men (whose 
business especially brings the straw through their hands daily), to be 
given on discovery and production of infested specimens, would ensure 
a good watch. A formal inspection in the stores might very likely 
give no results, and would require the baled straw to be loosed ; but a 
watch kept on the straw, also on slightly-used litter and on long 
manure, would be well worth while. A watch on screenings from 
imported Wheat and Barley is also highly desirable. 
“Flax-seeds” in Light Corn or “Shag.” 
March 12th, 1887.—Whilst the above pages have been passing 
through the press further discoveries have been made of the place of 
deposit (during threshing infested straw) of the chrysalis-cases or 
“flax-seeds” of Hessian Fly, which bear very importantly on the 
subject, of means of spread, or methods of prevention of attack. 
During the last few days I have received information from Mr. D. 
Taylor, jun., of Daleally Farm, Errol, N.B., that he not only finds the 
“flax-seeds,” as before mentioned, in the “siftings,” but that they 
were still more easily observable “ in the light grain or ‘ shag ’ which 
fell immediately behind the dressing-fanners, or is delivered at the 
side by a ‘ shag’ or tail-spout, also amongst the earth and small weed- 
seeds which fall through the sieve below the fanners.” 
The proportion of “ flax-seed ” to the handful was found to be 
much larger in this light corn or “shag” than in the siftings. In 
these the amount of “ flax-seed” ran to about twelve to fifteen to the 
handful, but in the light corn as many as nearly forty to the handful 
were found, and in a four-gill measure of light grain, as it came from 
behind the dressing-fanners, Mr. Taylor found some few over ninety.'' 
This discovery, which, it should be remarked, is from an observer 
perfectly cognizant with appearance of the puparia, is of grave 
importance. It not only shows how attack may be reinstituted from 
our own threshings on to our own fields, and therefore that every 
farmer through the country should be on the alert, both on his own 
land and in his own neighbourhood, in bringing about clearing of the 
“flax-seeds” from the light corn, and destruction of the same by all 
means in his power, but further, it points to how attack may come in 
foul imported grain. Where this is sent to us uncleaned from infested 
countries there is fullest likelihood of Hessian Fly “flax-seeds” being 
transported amongst the weed-seed and small rubbish, and those who 
buy cheap screenings should be alive to the fact. 
