84 
CORN. 
( 
in growth. On enquiry Mr. Wells mentioned that it was drilled on 
January 10th. “ The field was manured all alike, and where Swedes 
grew I think at least three parts of the Wheat is destroyed, and where 
there were Mangolds and common Turnips it is very little injured.” 
The field was very highly manured for Mangolds, which were eaten 
on the ground by the sheep. The Wheat was not through the ground 
until about March 20th. “ I quite think with you that the extreme 
heat of last summer is the cause of the extra devastation.” 
On May 19th Mr. James Davies wrote me from Hollinfare, near 
Warrington, with the mention that for several miles around, both in 
Cheshire and Lancashire, the Wheat-crop in some fields had been 
greatly damaged, and on some had been entirely destroyed by the 
attack of which he forwarded specimens, which proved to be again 
H. coarctata, in maggot and chrysalis state. Mr. Davies mentioned 
that one of his own fields had suffered severely on that portion of it 
where Potatoes grew last year, while the portion that was cropped with 
Swedes and Mangolds had escaped. The maggots and chrysalids were 
found in the very bottom and right in the centre of the stems of 
Wheat. With regard to the date of sowing and observation of mischief 
being in progress, Mr. Davies mentioned that his Wheat was sown 
about the middle of November, and that his fields were very late in 
showing attack, as he perceived nothing of it until about the last day 
or two in April, and then not much. Another field in the neighbour¬ 
hood was sown in October, and the attack was in it earlier and more 
severely, as the field was resown with Oats in April, all the Wheat 
being then gone. With regard to succession of crops, Mr. Davies 
mentioned that in one case a small part of the field that escaped 
carried Swedes and Mangolds last year, whilst the Potato plot of last 
year suffered severely. 
The following notes from Mr. W. Parlour, of Middle Farm, Dalton- 
on-Tees, Darlington, are of interest as giving date of sowing of the 
attacked Wheat, and some special points as to preceding crop or 
treatment of ground ; and also in this case, as well as in Mr. Ellison’s, 
the observation was made complete by the perfect Fly, the Hylemia 
coarctata , being reared from the maggots :— 
On May 24th Mr. Parlour wrote me that he had taken the maggots 
(enclosed), and the accompanying Wheat-plants which had been 
attacked by them, from a Wheat-field in which they had done 
considerable damage. This field was sown about October 18tli, and 
the following notes of difference of treatment and amount of attack in 
the three plots into which it was divided are worth notice :— 
The first plot was sown on Bean-stubble, and was not attacked. 
In the second plot nearly the whole of the Wheat was killed by the 
maggot. This plot had been worked for Turnips, but they were not 
