The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-10-09
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How the RI
The transformations IN

The transformations in aS 10 so
butterfly are 50 evident that sSgg sg sss ssss
school-boy may try the expef5 8 8 LIZ Ssg
observe the truth Of 1t for himsedG, ass s,s
the rust the objects are SO very sd |'s1
tbs changes can only be seen by Il
eyes Of skilled observers, aided by t. 49,,
powers Of the microscope. Begi 81
with the spores Of the mature rust-p y
as seen IN the black stains on the ss7 /
stubble Of any grain-6eld, 1t will be four I
that when the warm and moist days Is
spring come these spores germinate, pre- ]
ducing in few days a short stem bearing
crop Of other spores of very much small
Ter size. To avoid confusion, these must
be called by their scientific name, sporislid,
while the parent spores are the teieutospores.
The sporidia have never been seen or made
to grow upon the grain; but when they
find their way to the leaves Of barberry
bush, they soon begin to germinate aud
make themselves manifest on the under
surface of the leaves in what are COM
monty known as 'clustar cups The
interior Of these pretty little cups is close
ly packed with spores Of a still different
kind, styled the ecidium spores. These
will not grow upon the barbery, but when
they fall upon blade or stalk Of grain,
they soon produce the yellow rusty cover
ing so often seen as the grain is begin.
ming to ripen, and caused by a multitude
Of uredo spores. Later in the season this
uredO state produces the final, perfect
teleutospores, thus completing the circuit
Of life in this little rust-plant Long be-
fore this rust was discovered to be plant,
farmers had noticed that there was close
relation between il and the barberry, aud
at present the latter is being rapidly des-
troyed with good results, though il can
scarcely be expected that the rust-plant
will thereby become extinct, as probably
the ecidium state grows on other than the
barbery, though not yet discovered else
where. This is an excellent illustration Of
polymorphtsm, 50 common among fungi,
and it also answers well to show the vast
number Of spores these microscopic plants
Il
produce. The telcutospore usually bears
from FIVE to ten sporidia, and allowing that
only one Of these finds the barberry leaf,
there may be from one to fifty cluster cups
as the result. In our case suppose only
one, and low estimate for its contents
would be $50, 900 ecidium spores, and if
only one in thousand finds place on
the grain-stalk, and each brings forth its
250, 900 fold, there would be under such
circumstances G., 100000 spores from the
single one with which we started, Taking
the same teleutospore, and supposing every
spore in all the stages found its place to
fill it, the result would be 1862, 500, ,0O0,-
OOO, 100000 spores, which may be looked
upon as its true descendants for the sea
son. Or giving each inhabitant of the
glOble his equal share Of these reproduc-
tive bodies, he would have nearly as many
as there are individuals in the whole hu-
man race. This may seem like very
large story about a very small matter, but
it is not the only strange truth the micro
scope has evealed.-ScrJner for October.