The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1844-06-19
THE DISEASES OF WHEAT.

preventing the diseases and attacks TO which the |
wheat crop is exposed. Re saws that the time
when the field is struck with rust, seems TO be 1
just at the time ofripening. A remarkable fact
on this subject is stated in a report to the New
Jersey Agricultural Society. An extraordinary
field OF wheat, supposed 10 be out of DANGER on
hot day became drenched by sudden show
eT, which came on between one and three
O'Clock, p. m. All was still; and on the passingl
away OF the shower the sun came out intensely
hot. The owner went into his field to examine
his wheat which he found much pressed down.
by the shower: he Immediately perceived a con-
tnued ticking, or swapping noise, in every direc-
tion, The straw was fine and bright; but, on
examining it, he found it bursting n-short Sits
one quarter of an inch long, and the sap extend
ing from it. A day or two after, the whole field
was darkened with rust, and the wheat nearly ru-
ined. Another instance of the same kind is also
related. The conclusion stated is---that the loss
OF the sap, running out and becoming dried on
the straw, occasoned the rust. The ancient
Greeks and Romans attributed rust to the effect
of the weather on the gran as has been men
toned above, and had prayer to the supposed
Rubigo, or rust, for the purpose of warding off
the disease.
He says that TO avoid the fly, mqnuring high
at seed time and sowing late, were resortcd to.
But this was attended by mildew and rust. The
best means of prevention are, first a good, dry
loamy soil, well prepared by cultivation, and not
too recently manured.-Secondly, cover the seed
abouttwo inches Deep either with drill or plough,
that it may have good hold of the soil, and not
be thrown out by winter frost. Abiding to the
various eXpedients to protect wheat from smut,
he says:
"One directs the wheat, after being thorough
ly washed, to be soaked ten or twelve hours in
salt water, as strong as il can be made It is fur
thcr said that no injury viii result if lies in
the brine for several days, provided it be in a
cool place. After thus soaking it, let itbe lined.
Another person recommends that the seeds,
when placed in the brine; be stirred up thor
oughly, SO that the light seeds may rise to the
surface, and be skinned of, afterwards, that the
brine be drained into tub, and the seed thinly
spread on the floor, and sfted with qucklime,
at the rate Of one gallon to bpshcl; and after
carefully stirring the lime through the seed a few
times, it is allowed to remain a few hours, and
then sown. The seed which underwent the per-
feet cleaning gave return Of pure wheat; and
that which was soWn in its natural state was in
feced with smut, and had mixture also of
chess.
In Northumberland report on agriculture, it
is stated that Mr.. Galley, who grew annually
from 400 to 600 acres Of wheat, had but one in
stance of smut in 40 years, and this was when
the wheat was not stepped. Another expert
ment was uied on seed, in which were few
balls Of smut-one third being stepped in cham
Der lye, and lined; one third stepped in the
same, and not lined; and the remainder without
Sleeping or lining; and the result was, that the
seed picked and lined, and that picked and
not limad were free from smut, but the other
had smutty ears in abundance. Another expert
ment was tried, by taking peck Of very smutty
wheat, of which one-half was sown in its natu-
raj state, the other halfwashed as clean as posi-
BILE, in three waters, soaked two hours in brine
strong enough to bear an egg, and dashed with
lime: the result was, two-thirds ofthe unwashcd
was smutty, but of the picked and lined seed
there was full crop, without u single ear of
smut. A similar experiment, somewhat varied,
is the following: Offur sacks of smuty wheat,
one sack was soaked in strong brine only; one
prepared with lime only; one was soaked in
strong brine, and then lay in line all night; and
the fourth was sown without anything; the re-
suit was, where brine only was used, now and
then there was a smutty ear, but rot many;
where lime only was used, there was about the
same quantity Of smut; where lime and brine
were used, not single srnutty car could be
found; and where nothing was used it was a
mass Of smut In another experiment, however.
mentioned in the Southern Planter, wheat sailed
at the rate Of quart ofsalt to bushel succeed
ed eifectually in preventing smut.-Bc,mCF. Il.