.
Ko. ].] Circulars—Hessian Fly. 73
SuPPLEMENTAIi SUGGESTIONS.
The following supplemental suggestions have been prepared by Mr. Charles
Whitehead, p.l.s., f.g.s., at the request of the Lords of the Committee of
Council for Agriculture, in consequence of the recent appearance of the Hessian
fly in its perfect, or fly form:—-
Since the preparation and issue of the suggestions concerning the Hessian (I r,
the perfect insect, or fly, has been seen to come from the pupa, or " flax seed,"
found in'the stems of wheat ami barley plants. It may, therefore, be assumed
that this insect will be of a double brooded habit in this country, as it is in
America and Canada, and will attack wheat plants in the autumn, and wheat
plants and barley plants in the spring and summer.
The fly, as it has appeared lately in England, corresponds exactly with the
descriptions of American entomologists, and eminent English authorities have
pronounced it to be the Hessian fly, Cecidoniyia destructor. (Say.) It resembles
a tiny gnat, being about the eighth of an inch long. Its body ii brown, with
the head and fore part of the body of a rather darker colour. The wings are
gray or smoke coloured, and have long fine fringes around them, with peculiar
veins characteristic of the Cecidomyiae. Its long horns, or antennaa, are like
strings of beads.
As soon as the wheat plants are up in the autumn the flies will lay eggs upon
them. Larvaj, or little white maggots (Fig. 2), will be hatched from them and
attack the plants, living on them until they turn to pupos (Big. 3), in which
form they will pass the winter. Flies will come from these pup® in the spring
and deposit eggs upon wheat plants and barley plants. Larvse proceeding from
these eggs will injure these corn plants in the manner observed recently near
Hertford, Inverness, Perth, and in Essex, and elsewhere.
Farmers, and especially those who are in or near districts that were infested
this year, should watch their wheat plants in October and November, and
examine them for larvas between the stems and the blades. Should larva: be
found, dressings of soot, or of soot and lime, or guano would check their
operations. Wheat plants upon which larva; are seen in the autumn, or upon
which pupa3 are found in the winter, should be fed closely down by sheep in
the early spring, if possible. Heavy rollings with ring or ordinary rollers would
be advantageous.
It is most important to burn infested stubble, or to plough it deeply in at
once, to prevent the flies from being generated. In the case of '• seeds" where
stubble is much infested, it should be brushed olP with poles, or even with scythes
in bad cases, and collected as closely as possible for burning by means of
'' dew-rakes."
Charles Whiteuead.
Uth September, I8S6.
No. 2.—National School Teachers (Ieeland) Act.
Local Government Boards Dublin,
30tli December, 1886.
sle,
In pursuance of the 4tli Section of " The National School Teachers
(Ireland) Act, 1875," the Local Government Board for Ireland transmit
to you herewith, to be laid before the Board of Guardians of
Union, the Notice which they are required by that Section to transmit,
on or before the 1st day of J anuary, to the Guardians of every Union
which shall not at such time be a contributory Union within the mean¬
ing of the Act.
The notice now transmitted, as in the case of the Notice which was
transmitted on the 30th December, 1885, requires the Guardians within
forty days from the receipt thereof to inform the Local Government
Board whether, for the purpose of increasing the remuneration of th
