RED MAGGOT. 
35 
Foxtail is grown for seed, extra care will be needed as to Wheat 
grown near. 
As yet it has been considered impossible to apply any remedy in 
the growing corn for Wheat Midge attack, but the observations given 
above of the midges lying quietly during the day amongst the lowest leafage 
of the attacked corn or grass seems to point to the possibility of some 
good being done by throwing dressings. So far as growing Alopecurus 
in patches for seed is concerned, the plan might be tried of throwing 
applications of the same kind as those used for Turnip Fly. A 
mixture of one bushel of fresh gas-lime, six pounds of sulphur, and 
ten pounds of soot, thoroughly mixed and powdered as finely as 
possible, was enough, in Mr. Fisher Hobbs’ practice, to dust two acres 
of Turnips. If this or any other similar mixture with sulphur in it 
was applied when the dew was on in the morning, so as to adhere to 
the lower leaves whilst the midges were resting amongst them, it is 
very likely many would be killed, and also the leafage made thoroughly 
obnoxious as a shelter. Should the experiment be tried notes of the 
result would be very acceptable for publication. 
With regard to the special point of clearing the maggots from 
“ Foxtail” seed, Mr. Hunter informs me that, “if Alopecurus seed is 
highly winnowed, most of the larvas-infested seeds are separated from 
the good seed (although some good seeds are also taken out in the 
process), the reason being that a larva is not as heavy as a well- 
developed seed, and so it is driven out.” 
The enquiry has been made whether the use of seed of which a 
considerable proportion was infested by these larvae would have any 
injurious effect on young pastures, it being borne in mind that the 
pastures are merely for grazing, and not for the production of seed ? 
Where this is strictly the case no damage would arise to the pasture 
from the use of infested seed beyond the loss of the amount of seed 
killed by the maggot, because, as far as we know, the “ Ked Maggot ” 
only feeds oh the seeds or in the blossom ; but in the broad question 
sent in from another quarter as to whether sowing infested seed produces 
an infested seed crop , the answer is not so certain. 
From experiments tried there seems some reason to think that 
sowing the seed with the maggot amongst it is followed by attack, and 
from the winter state of the maggot this seems likely enough. 
Of the maggots sent me in Alopecurus seed in the winter, some 
appeared dead, but I am far from being convinced that they all were 
past recovery; and if so, putting them in the ground with the seed 
would be putting them in just the right place for development, and for 
the midges in due time to come out from, and infest either the crop 
with which they were sown, or neighbouring Wheat. 
