HESSIAN FLY. 
41 
have seen no Wheat this year that is what is locally termed ‘ root- 
fallen’ or ‘storm-broken,’ and that the broken-down ears are solely 
attributable to attack by Hessian Fly. 
“ In a twenty-acre field of Barley, in which ‘ puparia ’ were very 
plentiful, being gathered at every step, I noticed none of the ears 
broken down were so large as the erect ones, or so well-filled; the crop 
is not yet threshed, but, judging from the quantity and appearance of 
attacked ears, there must be a deficiency of three bushels per acre. 
Many of the broken-down ears were left on the ground by the reaper, 
and not all gathered by the liorse-rake.” 
On Oct. 10th, relatively to amount of attack, Mr. Riley mentioned 
as follows :—“ I found it all over the East Riding of Yorkshire (more 
or less), especially in Barley; in many places it would have done serious 
damage had the attack appeared a month sooner ; fortunately the corn 
had begun to ripen before it came. I noticed that on land well farmed, 
as also on warp land, the Wheat was little worse in the sample, and 
that many of the stalks of corn that had the ‘ flax-seeds ’ in had not 
fallen down, showing there was sufficient support to carry the ear on.” 
Oct. 18tli. Mr. Gr. Palmer, Revell’s Hall, near Hertford, favoured 
me with the following information :—“ With regard to damage to the 
Wheat, I observed, both this year and last, that it was very slight, and 
one had to search about a good while to discover a stem injured or bent 
down. On the other hand, you can stand in the Barley and see ten or 
a dozen at once. I think there is no doubt that the stiffer the straw 
the better the attack is resisted. We had this year about twenty acres 
of the ‘ Square-head ’ Wheat, which grows a very stiff straw, and I was 
unable to find any injury done to it; while there was some (although 
very slight) done to a field of weaker kind of straw adjoining. I do 
not consider that we had so much damage done to our Barley this year 
as last, although there was a large amount of Hessian Fly puparia in 
the straw. I can account for this from the fact that we grew a Barley 
with 'a very stiff straw, and it was not till the grain was pretty well 
matured that the stems attacked gave way, consequently the Barley in 
the injured stems was of nearly as good quality as those not attacked. 
In future we shall always grow this kind of Barley.” 
Oct. 18tli. Mr. J. C. Swann replied, from Manor Grange, Long 
Stanton, Cambs :—“ The specimen I found and sent you of the Hessian 
Fly was from a Barley-field. I have just threshed the Barley out, and 
found it excellent quality, but the yield excessively poor. I may add, 
for your guidance, the land is wretchedly poor and foul, and will lie for 
a fallow next year. I did not find it in my Wheat-crop at all. 
The Professor of Agriculture, Hollesley Bay, mentioned :— 
“ The early-sown Barleys I have found to be more affected than 
those got in later—during the first fortnight in April.” 
