The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-09-25
AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.
The Diseases Of the Wheat Plant,

he diseases OF the W neat RANT.
The parasitic fungi, which are injurious to
wheat, are smut, rust and mildew. There
are two kinds of smut, the uredo Ftsfidas 80
called from its sinking smell, and is too well
known to need minute description. Ittake
the place of the kernel Of wheat, and is CON-.
posed Of an immense number of spores, ev>
cry grain or ball containing millions of them,
so minute that they are absorbed by the roots
Of wheat and carried upwards BY tie sap. By
the aid OF the microscope the progress Of
these spores may be traced through the stem
Of wheat to the head. In making exuer,.
ments with this kind of smut, Prof Johnston
found the tubes OF the stalk filed with the
black sporules which had come from the
roots. Thousands of the sporales may be
attached to single grain of wheat, and vet
be Invisible to the naked eye. They adhere
10 the grain by on oily substance, which pick
ling and washing dissolves and cleans away.
Ihls disease Is moss common on damp AMI
undrained soils and impervious sub-soiis, and
may be eradiested b. thoroughly draininp the
soil, procuring a seed perfectly free from
smut sleeping II IN strong brine, and dry.
ing with Stacked lime previous to sowing
POISONOUS sleeps for wheat are unnecessary
and should never be used. They have often
proved fatal to domestic animals OF various
kinds.
The second kind of smut is ,redo seqef,tna.
and i found in the shape OF black ears Il
does not centine Itself TO wheat. but attacks
almost every kind Of grain crop, aud may be
observed iminediat ly after the ears have sh !,
ont. This destroys the entire head, which
crunbles away and disappears. Il is cornmu
nlcated by spores, which remain in the soil.
aud are taken up by the roots 1t is said
that the spores OF this smut are so small that
square inch will contain $780, 900 of them
In places where it sbounds. the surest way
OF banishing it is By laying down the ground
to grass
OF rust there are also two species, one
uredo uJigo, attacks the interior of the chat,
appearing ia the shape Of blisters. Ii is or
ange eolored, and when severe causes the
grain to become shrunk and worthless
The second kind, uredo li,iearis, is confined
10 the straw and leaf, upon which it appears
in spot, like iron mold 1t causes the epi-
dermis or exterior skin to split and in this
manner Injuries the grain By causing the Juice
of the stems and leaves to be lost.
eiiidew, or mel dew, SO named from an old
notion that il was procured by honey>dew
falling from the atmosphere, is scientifically |
called puccfnia graBtifais. This forms black |
ish parallel lines, lives upon the straw, and !
seems to affect the whole plant, so that the |
grain is very much shriveled, or no grain at |
all is formed. The spores OF this fungus en-
ter the straw by its breathing pores, which are |
closed IN dry weather, but open in damp at
mosphere. This disease sometimes appears
quite suddenly in warm, moist weather. Wet |
soils and over manfred land are chiefly sub |
ject to mildew. Il is said that soils contain |
ing large proportion Of the salts of iron !
produce crops which are generally more or
less damaged by this disease. Late crops are
more affected by it than early ones. The best |
remedies appear to be thorough drainage Of
the soil and early maturing of the crops.