HESSIAN FLY. 
47 
and burn it. Thus all of the pest that may be left will be destroyed ; 
and this year’s experience has shown that the “flax-seeds” may be 
found at the ground level , and at the first knot, as well as at the second 
knot, and higher yet. 
Where complete firing of the stubble can be safely done (and I saw, 
after last harvest, in many cases that this could be carried out) the 
plan is very desirable, and not only is destructive to the pest under 
consideration, but also destroys the maggot of the Corn Sawfly in the 
stumps of the stubble, which Sawfly maggot is, as far as I see, a 
greater evil to us than the Hessian Fly, and the attacks may very 
likely occur together. 
But in burning stubble it is not right to let the fire go wildly as 
the wind may drive. The right way is to fire the field at the borders 
first. Thus there is only a slight warmth at first, and a line of fire 
quite under control near the hedges. The fire, as it spreads, draws 
towards the middle of the field, and, however the wind may drive, the 
flames cannot return over the already charred surface.* 
Treatment of infested straw after threshing. 
In regard to infested straw taken off the field, I am informed by 
Mr. John Martin, of Albion, Illinois, U.S.A., who has devoted much 
attention to the study of the Hessian Fly, that it is found to answer 
well to stack this carefully after threshing, well built up square and 
firm, like a haystack, instead of throwing it anyhow; thus a very 
great proportion of the flies which come out of the “flax-seeds” are 
destroyed, simply because they are not able to get to the outside of the 
stack. 
Late sowing of autumn wheat. 
This is a point that great stress is laid on in American practice, 
and it is especially recommended in the United States (where autumn 
Wheat-sowing runs earlier than with us) that Wheat should not be 
sown-until after the 20th of September in the Northern States.! 
In this country this remedy is applied for the most part in regular 
process of farming arrangements; commonly our Wheat is not sown 
until some time after date named, and thus the young plant is not up 
until the flies which would have laid eggs on it are dead. 
It is a quite plain thing that if, when the flies come out from the 
chrysalids, there is nothing suitable for them to lay their eggs on, that 
either the eggs will not be laid or the maggots from them will be 
starved to death; and I believe that it is very probably to this point of 
* For the above hints I am indebted to Professor Hoyes Panton, of the 
Agricultural College, Guelph, Canada. 
f See Third Report of United States Entomological Commission, Department 
of Agriculture, p. 221, 1880—82. 
