HESSIAN FLY. 
45 
Hessian Fly, and a very close watch has been kept on all imported 
straw at Leith and Granton. Still we have failed to detect anything 
like the enemy in this district , or on the imported straw." .... 
I give the above short abstract of the information forwarded to me 
to show the care that was bestowed upon the subject, and also that, 
from such a small body as a single puparium being found, and likewise 
the many specimens very much resembling “flax-seeds” which were 
sent me for inspection, it appears to me certain that if the chrysalids 
of Hessian Fly (“ flax-seeds” as they are called) had been present, they 
would quite surely have been noticed. But at the same time I do not 
consider that their non-appearance militates at all against all possi¬ 
bility of infestation being sent us from infested countries, because (so 
far as we know) the straw we examined was mainly from countries 
where attack, even if present at all, is not prevalent.* 
We have, however, learnt, from the minute and skilled examina¬ 
tions, the valuable practical point that a large amount of the straw 
coming into the country is not infested; and, with regard to what 
further may be needed, it appears to me that what is wanted (now that 
we know that Russian parasites to be present in the country) is for 
receivers of Russian straw (and corn, if not properly cleaned), and for 
their customers, to give due regard to the matter. 
Attention as to consequences of using cheap, foul screenings is 
much needed. As far as one year’s experience shows, Hessian Fly 
here is not so injurious as at least two other of our regular established 
corn-pests, whose attacks have been quietly submitted to for many a 
year without even an attempt worth speaking of being made to get 
them under. But I would most strongly urge on all agriculturists, and 
on all importers of grain, that they should insist on it being sent to 
them properly cleaned before shipping, and also that the sale of the 
foul rubbish teeming with insect-vermin, weed-seed, ergot, and useless 
dirt not even valuable as a manure, should be by every means dis¬ 
couraged. 
Methods of Pkevention. 
Destruction of 11 flax-seeds ” found (after threshing infested straw) in 
siftings or light grain. 
One method of quite certainly lessening the amount of coming 
attack is by destroying the “ flax-seeds ” which are to be found (after 
threshing infested straw) in the siftings, and also sometimes in the 
light grain. 
Where the screenings are merely of dust, rubbish, and weed-seeds, 
it would be little trouble or loss beyond cost of labour to have them 
burnt, or by any other more convenient way thoroughly destroyed; 
* For further notes on straw imported from Russia see Appendix. 
