The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-07-29


OATS. Perhaps more than thrce-fourlh5 Of
the oit crop Of this county has been destroyed
/ by rust, We have yet to meet with the first per-
son who has ever before known an instance OF
The kind Oats were supposed TO be entirely
free from the rust Nevertheless. we see no good
reason upon which to found such an opinion
Rust is believed TO be. caused by an excessive
flow Of sap after the joints of thl stalk are
| formed, and we cannot understand why oats
should not suffer as we'll as wheat, all things
being favorable. Tho reason why they almost
universally escape, while wheat frequently SUI.
fers from rust may be found in the fact that but
little time incrvenes between the jonting OF
the stalk and the ipenng Of the kernel.
7. S.--Since the above was in type, we have
met with the following statement, which is ia.
ken from the Southern HOMESTEAD, and throws
moro light on the subject than anything we
have before seen
Throughou. the whole south western portion
Of the Union the oot crop has suffered from
terrible blight, which from its resemblance TO
The lungOus substance that sometimes attacks
wheat by that name, has been culled rust So
far Os we are informed, rust in oats has hitherto
been unknown. We have never heard or read
Of anything Of tho kind, in any section OF the
country. The fact that il is thus unusual opens
a wide and interesting field to the cntomologist,
as il invites Investigation i'll channel 50 Ior a
wa can ascertain, hercoi0 uncxpored.
While IN West Tennessee, short time since,
we took occasion to examine the blade Of the
oat under microscop', (tindly furnished Us by
'ho Bailey Troupe,) and were gr7atly surprised
at the phenomena which the glass revealed -
Since then we have followed up those cxamina-
tions, by the aid Of more powerful instruments,
at the Medical College in this city, in compnny
with several scientific gentlemen, among whom
were Drs. Briggs and buchanan of the Medical
Faculty
The cause of all this destruction OF the oats
is living worm, too small to be plainly seen
with the naked eye. A single leaf or blade OF
the out ometmes contains hundreds of them.
They lie Cucased in the tissues of the leaf or
blade, where they have been gcrminatcd beneath
the cpidrrmis or thin pelliCle over the exterior
part Of the blade, aud as they progress IN dcvel-
opment, the skin OF the leaf Is raised into
curious puffy blister, The growth of the worm
subsequently ruptures these, and it escapes to
feed on the plant When first released from
their covering they ure of beautiful, clear, red
color, almost transparent, but soon begin to
change color and FORM getting more Opaque and
dark IN appearance until, i'll the course OF trans
(ormntion, they become black bag with legs
and wings, when they attack the head or grain
Of the oats.
Under the microscope the dust which re-
mains on the leaf, closely resembles that on the
wings of butterflies.
How this innumorable army of infni,esimal
worms originated is yet mystery. 1t is II sin
gulor fact, however, that wherever the grcu'c
quantity Of rain has fallen, there the oat crop
has fired tho worst In our recent trip through
West Tennessee, we saw but a single field OF
oats, between tho Mississippi and Tennessee riv-
crS, which was not n total failure or into which
it would not be folly to put n scythe blade
That field was near Denmark, in Madison couu-
ty, and wns sown very early. 1t is well known
that morera in has fallen in West Tennessee this
season, than in any other part of the State
hence the extreme wet weather must have had
some agency in the production Of this animal
cule. 1t is welt known that moisture aud heat
will produce and multiply animal life, millions
per hour, and therein we judge is the secret Uf
this destruction of the oat crop. 1t is one of
those cases of natural phenomena which occur
only ut certain stage in the growth Of plants,
and under peculiar states OF temperature aud
weather 1t may happen next season, or il may
not occur again for many years.