Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1850-11-07

3rsnd. haye taken some pain, to obtain all
the information in my power, that is, practical
information, Of tho existence Of this destruc.
tive disease in wheat. 1t has long been known
to every sgriculiurist in England, and through.
out the United States, but the real cause Of 1t,
is little known not only by the practical far
mer, but even by scientific authors; such erro.
neous and oonir adictory opinions have been I'D.
vanced that the farmer cannot derive any salts.
factory information from them. This disease
in my opinion, 10 occasioned by the seeds Of an
extremely minute parasitic fungus, Of the genus
uredo, being absorbed by the roots ofthe ger.
mnatng sap, long before the wheat blossoms.
into the young germn or oviun, when the
seeds Of the fungi vegetate aud rapidly multi
ply, thereby preventing not only the destruc-
ton of the 'ovium, but even the developments
Of the part OF qualification; in consequence, no
embryo is produced in an infected gcrmin.
which, however, continues to grow as long as
the sound grains do; and when tho sound grain.
arrive at maturity, TIE infected ones are lar
ger than, aud arc easily distinguished from the
sound grains, by Aeir darker green color. and
from The ova retaining the same shape and
} form which they had at the time the infection
took place.
In the year 1881, | had rich piece of ground
to so " in wheat, aud concluded 10 change my
$ seed. applied to my neghbor Tor seed wheat
and took notice at the time that the furze end Of
r the berry had q dark color sowed tho seed
# the next season, 1885. and when came to
i harvest my wheat one third Of the field was
$ infected with smut balls, about the middle O.
e June 1885. and about ten days before the ear
;. emerged from the hose. and about twcLty days
G before the sound ears springing from the same
$ roo! are in blossom. At that stage, the inner
d cavities are very sma!l-at first the fungi are
d Of q pure white color, and when the ear e,ner-
z ges from its hose, the ovium is much enlarged
J. but stiff retaining its original shape; and the
), fungi rapidly multiplying may have them near
Iy come to maturity, assumed darker color
= and having separated from the spawn lie loose
q in the cavity OF the oviun, the infected grains
at continue growing, und The fungi continue Il
at multiply, till the sound grains have attained
70 their full sza and maturity, when the infected
;. grains are easily distinguished from the sount
r ones by being generally larger and Of darker
1t green color; and il opened they appear TO b,
re filled to excess with these dark colored fungi
IN but grains affected by the uredo very rarel
0. burst, and the fungi are seldom found on Thu
in outside Of the grain but it the grains DO bruis
W ed they readily emit their offensive smell
I'd which Is worse than anything pusrd. Whe'
j. the sound grains are perfectly ripe, and dry
ne and assume their light color, the infected grain
OF also change, but TO some what darker brown
1t retaining, however the same shape which til,
he ov;um had at its formation. If the infected
ne grains be cut in two they will be found to consis
ng solely OF the outmost Engagements oil the owl
nd nm filled with the ripe, black fungi, wi,hou
any trace Of the embryo or albumen. Plant
r Of the wheat infected with the smut brand ma
Oh be easily distinguished in the field by thei
at size, being generally several inches higher i
be bulk and have found, in all instances, a grea!
IN er number Of stalks produced from the sam
y roots, the ear containing more kernels and III
f kernels moro plump, than were contained i
Oh those Of sound plants Of the same seed GROWN
" in the same field. One plant produced fro,
% seed which found IN the field, had twent
complete stems and ears some Of the stems
er with the ears, measuring abuu! five feet ever
be part Of the PLAN, propOrtonably large, and a
ce the ears entirely affected. Another specime
N had eight stems from the same root, five
r., their above five feet high and all infected tn
D other three stems were considerably shorter
n the ears smaller, and their grains perfect
nd SOUND.
r. The enlargement of the plant. however,
IN not 10 DO attributed to the Infection but is un
- Euouoteu'y the consequence oi luXurious veg
he citation produced by rich, msist soil, whic
nd secures and promotes the infection more tina
un a dry one 4: neither does this disease infect tn
he entire ear. found some ears having one lid
N infected, while the opposite side perfect
st sound Sometimes live or six perfectly SCUM
OIL grains are found in an otherwise uns uund heat
in at the time when the sound grain, change the
At color the fungi. being ripe, to mutipl,
They are Of & otuar form and nearly Of a
he equal size.
,ps Conclusion merit lpeck