The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1868-06-20
Rust in wheat.

To wheat growers, scarcely any subject
can be more interesting than the inquiry
into the causes which produce that fatal
blight, called rust, in wheat Nor could any
discovery be more useful than that of GER
tain specific against this blight A Delaware
correspondent of the Rural Gentleman gives
his experience as follows
thas been the experience of agriculturists
that very warm, sultry weather foggy morn
incs, or frequent light rains, followed by 70
turns of bright sunshine, altogether, whilst
the wheat is in milky state, produce rust.
What are influences of these several condi-
tons of the weather upon the stem or stalk
of the wheat which produce this resuIt2 1t
NAV be here remarked, that the combined
effects of these iOgs, warm, sultry weather
and FREQUENT rains, are to induce q rapid
growth of the plants, and to render it very
soft and succulent. In this state the hot
suns following Immediately upon the fogs,
showers and sultry weather, suddenly con
tract the stem of the wheat, and split 1T
lsneitudinally into numerous small assures,
al around the stem. Then the sap Of the
plant e1udes through these assures; the at
mosphere orjdizes this sap, giving it a
redish color, and this is the rust, 1t noees-
sarily follows, that the sap being thus ar
rested IN its dow through the stem, thrown
out upon the surface, and diverted from the
head, the grain must fail for want Of ncur-
ishment
Some years ago, having several bushels of
wood ashes on hand. / determined to try an
experiment. by spreading these ashes upon
nv wheat Accordingly, when the wheat
was beginning to Joint, and when there was
n slirht mist | directed my labOrer to spread
with the hand these ashes upon my wheat,
at the rate of perhaps eight bushels to the
acre. 1t came on to rain too hard for him
tn continue this labor and he left off spread
inc these ashes in the middle of the land
The rust was general and fatal that year in
nv neighborhood and my wheat where the
ashes had not fallen, as we'll as the wheat in
the neighborhOod, was so much injured by
this disease, as to be hardly worth saving
but l remarked with surprise and pleasure,
that wherever the ashes had fallen upon the
wheat. even up to the middle of the land,
where the labor was discontinued, my wheat
was spiendid, the stems being strong, vigor-
Gus and of a bright colour, and taller by
several inches than where the ashes had not
been sown whilst the heads were heavy and
the Grain perfect Here, then, beyond ques-
ton. was an experiment perfectly Satisfactory
Invaluable indeed, in its results.
Now, as to the effects of ashes upon wheat,
they have, like Shakspeares sherry sack,
three fold operation:
l. The ashes operate as manure upon
the wheat even in the limited quantity OF
eight bushels per acre.
2 They push the wheat forward several
DAYS. and IN time to escape the hot, sultry
davs which often prevail about the time OF
the heading out of the wheat; and
3. They strengthen the stem, giving II
substance and solidity
may add one or two more properties Ct
the ashes, beyond the sherry sack they
afford Just that kind of pabulum, or food
which is best for the development and per
lection Of tie grain, and VII, IN my opinion,
also prevent the rayages Of The Fly in wheat
would here venture the remark, that when
ever one tries this experiment he viii there
after spread his wood ashes up9a his wheat
as above Indicated; and in so doing be viii
eAectually guard aaainst and prevent the
rust."