Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1858-08-05
cir Furulgr.
Rust in CATS is il.

AAohiSotSoo ciahSo tIc iOiioWtDS IT,
marks. The subject is one of great
interest to farmers, aud the investi
CATION should be prosecuted until
the cause of their new enemy is as
certaine,l # possible:
Throughout the whole South
western portion of the Union the
oat crop has suffered from a terrible
blight, which from its resemblance to
the fuDgous substance that some
times attacks wheat by that name,
has been called rust. So far as we
arc informed, rnst in oats mas hitherto
been unknown. We have never
heard or read of anything of the
kind in any section of the country
The fact that it is thus unusual,
opens wide and interesting field to
the cntomologist, as it invites lnves-
tigation in channel, SO far as We
can ascertain, heretofore UNEMPLOYED
While in West Tennessee. short
time since, we took occasion to ex :
anime the blade of the oat under 1.
microscope, kindly furnished US BY
the BAILEY Troup,) and were greatly
surprised with the phenomena which
the glass revealed. Since then, We
have followed up those examinations,
by the aid Of more powerful instru-
inents, at the Medical College in
this City, in company with several
scientific gentlemen, among whom
were Drs. Briggs and Buchanan, OF
the Medical Faculty.
The cause of All this destruction
Of the oat crop is living worm too
small TO be plainly seen with the ma
ked eye. A single blade or lea!
of the oat sometimes contains hun
Greds of them. They lie eneased in
the tissues of the leaf or blade where
they have been terminated, beneath
the epidermis or thin pellicle over
the exterior portion Of the blade,
and as they progress in development,
the skin OF the leaf is raised into Gu
rious puffy blisters. The growth OF
the worm subsequently rupiares
these, and it escapes to feed on the
plant. When first released from
their covering. they are Of a beaull-
full, clear red color, almost transpa-
rent, but soon begin 10 change color
and form, getting mere opaque aud
dark in appearance until, In the
course of transformation, they be-
come a black bug, with legs and
wings, when they attack tho head or
grain oftbe oats.
Under the microscope, the dust
which remains on the leaf, closely
resembles that on the wings Of but
terAies.
How this innumerable army oil in
finitesimal wo,ms originated is yes
a mystery. 1t is singular TACT,
however, that wherever the greatest
Quantity Of rain has fallen, there the
oat crop has Jared the worst In
our recent trip through West Ten
nessee. we saw but q single field oil
oats. between the Mississippi and
Tennessee rivers, which was not o
total failure or into which it would
not be folly to put a scythe-blade.
That field is near Denmark, III Madi-
son county, and was sown very early
II is we'll known that more ram mas
fallen in West Tennessee, this season,
than in any other part Of The STATE
hence this extreme wet weather must
have had some agency IN lie pro-
duction Of this animalcule. Ii is
also we'll known that moisture and
heat will produce and multiply AMI
NAL life, millions per hour, and there
in we judge is the secret of this de-
struction ofthe oat crop. 1t is one
oftSose cases of natural phenomena
which occur only at certain stage
in the growth Of plants, and under
pecnliar states Of temperature and
weothsr Tt NAV happen next sea-