§ MR. HERBERT GARDNER (Essex, Saffron Walden)asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Whether he has any official information as to the reported appearance of the Hessian Fly 160 in parts of Essex and Hertfordshire; and, if so, whether Her Majesty's Government are taking steps with the view of warning farmers generally, and stamping out this agricultural pest?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY (Lord JOHN MANNERS) (Leicestershire, E.)No notice has been taken, in the Reports received up to this time from the collectors of the Agricultural Returns in either Essex or Hertfordshire, as to destruction of wheat by Hessian fly. Mr. Whitehead, who has prepared some extremely valuable Reports for the Agricultural Department on the subject of insects injurious to crops, states in his letter to The Times of the 18th instant that the Hessian fly is of the same genus as the wheat midge, to which he has referred in his Report No. 2, issued by the Privy Council in December last. I have directed a letter to be written to Mr. Whitehead asking him whether he can suggest any short and simple instructions which it may be useful to issue to the Local Authorities of any districts which may become affected by this pest. I may add that the Royal Agricultural Society have called attention to the possible danger, and have suggested means of prevention.