Blackford.

Brown.

Clay

Clinton.

Daviess...

Decatur.

A TABULAR STATEMENT CONCERNING THE SEVENTEEN-YEAR CICADA--Continued.

THE HESSIAN FLY.

CECIDOMYIA DESTRUCTOR Say.

Owing to the fact that but little has been heard of the Hessian fly during the past season, many have supposed that farmers would not suffer from that cause during the coming year. But numerous letters were received during October and November, stating that the fly was doing much damage to wheat in certain sections of Indiana. These letters were principally from farmers living in the south-central portion of the State.

In order to ascertain as accurately as possible what portions of the State were infested, a circular letter was sent out to over 300 prominent farmers, representing every county in the State, asking for information as to the following data: Presence of the fly, extent of damage being done, date when they were first observed, date of sowing, its presence in late-sown wheat, variety of wheat grown, the use of commercial fertilizers.

Responses have been received from 190 correspondents representing ninety-one counties. Of these, seventy-seven counties report the fly as doing more or less damage. Fourteen counties report no fly, which may or may not be true, as it has frequently happened that one man has reported no fly and another man living in another section of the county has reported it as doing considerable damage. Those counties reporting no fly are Lake, Allen, Dekalb, Whitley, Jasper, Newton, Adams, Warren, Vermillion, Owen, Wells, Knox, Starke and Scott. Bartholomew did not report at all. Fifty counties report the damage to wheat as ranging from fifteen to seventy-five per cent. of the crop. Twenty-four counties report only slight damage; and some did not report the amount of damage. The greatest amount of damage is reported from central and southern counties (in Decatur County fifty-two larvae were found in one plant). In sixty-nine counties in which the fly is found, the wheat was sowed before September 25, while in eight counties it is found in wheat sown after September 25, but in only one after October 1. Twenty-seven varieties of wheat are mentioned as being grown in the infested districts, and no one variety is mentioned as being more free from attacks than others. The varieties which are mostly grown are Fultz, Poole, Nigger, Rudy, Harvest King, Red Russian and Mediterranean. Nor does commercial fertilizer seem to lessen the attacks of the fly, although it may appear later that the fertilized fields are in better condition to withstand the attacks of the fly. Of the whole number reporting the fly, sixty-eight report the use of commercial fertilizer. It will be seen that the fly is

Map showing counties infested with the Hessian fly in 1902 (fall).