THE HESSIAN FLY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 4013, 15 January 1892, Page 2

THE HESSIAN FLY.

Kiss Oraerod's Report, as to If othods of Provontiou. Flougbing'in.—The kind of plough neoded is ono fitted with a ""skim coulter," or skim-share, which oan be fastened to tliobeam and removed at mil. This chips tho surface, so that, it can bo turned down with the fur* row, and would answer well if car£* was taken that the " skimmed " piece ms thoroughly buried down. If this is done, the weak little Hessian flies cannot by any possibility (even if they developed down below) struggle up through the overlying load of earth. But if must he thoroughly done, Digging would not be a certain treatment, foT it would break up the v surface, and leave some of the pests -H where light and air would reach them. Wi'.cu onco turned down the h> fested land should ?w0 be turned up again, until the Reason for tho appearance of the next brood of Hea- | sian flies has passed.aud therefore only | crops requiring surfjee cultivation should bo taken from the land. Firing stubble—lf the wheat is cut high in New Zealand, firing the standing stubble would be a very desirable measure if practicable In such case the fire should be started in all cases ,*( th edges of thfield. This is very important, as thus the fire is - circumscribed in area. It can easily ! be controlled at first, and run intothe stubble which is. to be burnt, and when it has gained height the fact of being surrounded by an al* ready burnt bordor prevents it spreading as with bush or prairie conflagrations.

If stubble cannot ha fired, or ploughed well in, i( should be gathered '• in wbatovor way be tho moat conveni- • ent way, probably "scuffling" and dragging the stubble into heaps and then burniug it. . Hessinn fly does not attack oats --Thefactof Hessian fly never attiok* • ing bats, so far as has been shown by observation and experiment tip to the present time, ia very important. Also attention would bo serviceably directed to the safety of ordinary crops —anything in fact, but wheat, barley, nnd rye, are as far as we know quite safe from this pest. Kinds of wheat which "resist attack—lf the wheat either by nature or cultivation is so solid, or so strong stemmed, that it does not " olbowV down undor attack, this saves mucai loss.

In California an experiment, of which the report now before.me was sent me from the College of Agriculture, University of California, Alabama Co,, the only varieties of wb eat out of a hundred tried on which no attack oconrred were the six follow ing kinds, which are chiefly varieties grown in countries bordering on the Mediterranean or Black : Seas. They I are:—l. Bearded wheat from Missojen j2. Palestine; 3. Petali; i, Voloj |5. Greek wheat from Atlanti; G. Forelle, These are all solid stemmed kinds, in which tho straw is not hollow. I believe they do not answer in the north of Europe, But the sub* ject might be worth investigation for New Zealand.

•All methods of cultivation' which will promote a strong self-supporting growth of the corn are great preser.. v'atives from bad effeots from Hessian fly attack. Prevention by sowing after the pre* ceding brood of Hessian fly is dead£>In Britain it is a very great security against attack to young autumn-soiva wheat that this in regular course of cultivation is sown a few weeks after the nutumn brood of Hessian uy ia dead, so that what we suffer from is mainly the Hessian fly which comes outofchrysalids in the spring, If tho date of wheat sowing, or date of succession ol broods of Hessian fly in New Zealand, allow of this method ot prevention being carried out, thiswould be a most important method of prevention. Other means of Prevention.—What is called " bait" is sometimes useful. This is sowing a narrow strip or two ofcorn to attract the flies to lay eggs, and then ploughing this under. Weliavo no observations of the Hessian fly ravages in New Zealand being as yet found on thn young plants. It would be well for theso to bo_ watched, and if harm was found going forward, for the maggots found on the young stems or at the base ~f£ the leaves to bo submitted for idonK fication to some expert. The presenftr of the "anchor process" figured in postscript would at onca show their nature.

Feeding off crops so affected by sheep, rolling, dieting, and all sorts of tilings, have been suggested, but I have no great belief io (bese remedies. They cost a great deal, and often let the peat get ahead while it is being trifled with. If really present I believe tbo host course would be to plough in deeply, and compensate. Siftings from imported grain.—lt would be desirable to find whether any difference bad occurred in the few years with regard to importation oi wheat in foul condition. : Here it ia brought in from Eussia and the United States, and very ■ likely other countries, and the injured grain and rubbish, swarming with corn pests, mostly of thekind that infest granaries, is sold very cheap and dispensed abroad to carry mischief in.all directions. If this practice could i& stopped it would be a great safegualß The olean corn is not to bo feared, but the masses of siftings are vory dangerous. I believe inquiry into the state of siftings to bo vitally important with regard to imports, exports to other British colonies, and New Zealand itself.

Straw as a means of transportation of Hessian fly.-I have not as yet been able to find any "flax seeds" save one example imported scraw in Britain, but it certainly suggests itself as a moßt likely means of carriage, where the straw is out low enough to convey the pest with it, and besides questions regarding extra-insular/' imports, it sceuis very desirable that arrangements should be made for regulating traffic between the Islands, so that if possible the infestation should not be passed on, In Europe the enormous egg traffic is one way in which scraw is muoh distributed from one country to another, or at least from "Russia to England, but from further disj& i the straw is in regular business niadeinoapable of convoying infestation, asitisneoessary to prepare it by laying on racks in heated chambers for the safely of the eggs from damp, ••'••>'.•■ I also beg to submit for consideration the following important facls: —lst, that few are thoroughly well acquainted with the signs of attack in the field; 2nd, that very few indeed know howto distinguish the "flax seeds" or puparia in the sidingsj and 3rd, that there is no reason to suppose the presence of, these, even when known of, is often concealed to the serious injury; of the district,'V

Looking at these points and lb enormous iraportimco that it is to tint Colony to keep the attack in check, I would suggest that it appears ODiinently desirable ones move properly qualiflaJ inspectors should bo appointed A few minutes instruction byshowing specimens would qualify them to distinguish tho attack; but it is very important that they should be men of sound ngricultur.il knowledge, ablo to suit iho treatment to k the needs of tho case, rady to proceed »t once to any new point of outburst and report (hereon, and officially to watch carefully and exaniino the condition of tho crops; tho condition of the sittings at the farms, and also tho condition of tho imported straw, wheat, barley, or rye; and for the Bake of other countries, whether the exports of tho above were in safe condition. They should also " be supplied with specimens for the instruction of ngriculuiialists, The above various observations nro *hai occur tone now as points which I desire icipcatfully lo lay before you lor consideration, and should you think fit to wish me lo reply further, or in ai.y wuy endeavour to give further attention to the subject, I will with pleasuio bestow the utmost caro and consideration, or it'ncessiuy communicate on the subject with the leading Economic Entomologists of tho U.S.A., or Cunnda, or Etissia, and request their advice on any point of difficulty, A I am, Sir, **' Yours obeditutly, JSlkaxoii A, Omerob, Consulting Entomologist of the Royal Agricultural Society of Eugland, Sir F.D. Bell, K.C.M.6., C.15„ Agent-Goneral for New Zoulaud.