THE HESSIAN FLY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2828, 21 February 1888, Page 2

THE HESSIAN FLY.

The following extracts from a discussion on the subject of the Hessian

Fly, which took placo at the Wellington Philosophical Society's meeting on Saturday last are of considerable interest, and we reproduce them : Mr W. M. Maskell, F.R.M.S., said that there was enough to enable him to say with almost positive certainty that the fly from Eangitikei was a true specimen of the Hessian Fly, or "corn scourge." He also wished to point . out that the insect was perhaps the worst pest that has yet arrived in i New Zealand, and if it wAnot kept V under either by the naturlr action of the parasites, which have. already attacked it in New Zealand, or by official action on the part of the Government,orby some combinWn of the farmers of the Colony, Well—it they were to judge by what had been done in other countries—there would be great damage done to the wheat, oat and barley crops: of tho Colony. Sir James Hector explained that the life of the insect was an exceed-

ingly interesting one, After the eggs were laid it rapidly grew into a crawling caterpillar, and worked its way to the bottom of the stubble, and then • fastened its proboscis into the stem of the growing wheat. Numbers of the insects clustered round and extracted ' the juice of the stem, and finally the"' straw was eaten tljroqgh, and the whole of the crop was ruined, He wished to correct thewAnenusim. pression that had got am to the effect that the insect attacked the - grain,_ That was not true, There was - a species of insect that attacked grain but it had not yet made its appearance' ' in New Zealand. He suggested as a J. means of eradicating the pest, that' when, a fewer obsemiindicais qj -

its presence in the crop lie should cut the stubble as low aa possible, and then burn it, alter which the debris should be buried as deeply as possible, Wo may add that Webster's unabridged « dictionary describes the Hessian Fly as" A small two-winged fly or midge, nearly black, very destructive to young wheat," It is slightly smaller than a mosquito and tho N. Z. Government, in warning farmers to watch for it says: —'' Look out for a pest in corn crops, shows ns black things liko linseed over first joint, causing the straw to break over thero before the grain is ripe." Journalism Extraordinary. Mr Beall,' the proprietor of the Financial Critic, a London Journal, regarding which there tvas some discussion in this colony last session, was about to be brought up at the Mansion House when the last mail left on a conspiracy to assault and injure Mr A A. Mac Donald Green. From Mr |p Green's statement it appears that he was engaged in floating a company when Mr Beall sent round for a page advertisement, intimating at the same time that he had two articles ready, The advertisement was refused, and a notice appeared in the Critic which, it is almost needless to say, was not favorable to Mr Green's venture. Tho ]paper was sent to all the shareholders, whereupon Mr Green called upon Mr JJoall and gave him a thrashing, A friend who accompanied him struck one of Mr Beall's clerks, and he was prosecuted and fined 20s for a technical assault, but Mr Beall refused to prosecute Mi Green. The latter- gentleman, considering tho season of the year, attempted a reconciliation with the newspaper proprietor through a clerk, and received intimation that Mr Beall would call at Mr Green's om'ce as a friend, Mr Beall did so, but he was accompanied by seven other persons, two of whom are described as "professional bruisers." Mr Green avers that he was murderously assaulted, and would probably have been killed had the police not appeared on the scene, It was for this that Mr ■ Green sought to take out a warrant " against Mr Beall.