The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1868-05-22
Rust in WI eat

y :" AAS@L > ~ !" g
can be more interesting Organfh~ 1ir7'
into the causes which get the doeum fatal
blight. called rust, ia wsyigilant - could
any discovery be more useful than that ola
certain specific against this blight. A Del
aware correspondent of the Rural Gentle
man gives his experience as follows:
1t has been the experience of agricultur-
lists that very warm, sultry weather, foggy
mornings, or frequent light rains, followed
by returns of bright sunshine, altogether,
whilst the wheat is in milky state, produce
rust. What are the influences of these sew
eral conditions of the weather upon the
stem or stalk of the wheat. which produce
this result? Il may be here remarked,
that the combined effects of these fogs,
warm, sultry weather and frequent rains,
are to induce rapid growth of the plant,
and TO render it very soft and succulant.
In this state, the hot suns following imme-
diately upon the fogs, showers and sultry
weather, suddenly contract the stem of the
wheat, and split it lOngitudinally into num-
erous small assures, all around the stem.
Then the sap Of the plant exudes through
these assures the atmosphere oxides this
sap, giving it a redish color, aud this is the
rust. It necessarily follows, that the sap
being thus arrested in its Aow through the
stem, thrown out upon the surface, and d.
verted from the head. the grain must fail
for want Of nourishment
Some years ago, having several bushels
of wood ashes on hand, determined to try
an experiment, by spreading these ashes
upon my wheat Accordingly, when the
wheat was beginning to joint, and when
there was slight mist, I directed my la
borer to spread, with the hand, these ashes
upon my wheat, at the rate of perhaps eight
bushels to the acre. It came on to rain too
hard for him to continue this labor, and he
left off spreading these ashes in the middle
of land. The rust was general and fatal
that year in my 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 1 remarked with
surprise and pleasure, that wherever the
ashes had fallen upon the wheat, even up
tc the middle of the land, where the labor
was discontinued, my wheat was splendid,
the stems being strong, vigorous, and of
bright color, and taller By several inches
than where the ashes had not been sown,
whilst the heads were heavy and full, and
the grain perfect. Here, then. beyond
question, was an experiment perfectly salts
factory-invaluable in its results.
Now, as to the effects of ashes upon
wheat, they have, like Shakspsare's 'sher-
~ 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
days which often prevail about the time Of
the heading OUT of the wheat.
3. They strengthen the stem, giving it
substance aud solidlty.
may add one or two more properties Of
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 the grain. and will. in my opin-
ion, also prevent the rayages Of the fly 10
" heat 1 would here venture the remark,
that whoever once tries this experiment
viii thereafter spread his wood ashes upon
his wheat, as above indicated aud, 10 so
doing. be viii elfsciuallv guard against and
prevent the lusP' in the wheat.