Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-08-18
Smut in Wheat.

WHAT is known as smut IN wheat, and
other grains and on grasses, has long been
known to be minute parastical fungus,
belonging to the genus Ured0 That found
on wheat is UredO carries, and the sporidia
are included within the ovary of the fruit.
The investigations of these fungus growths
have been very searching and their char
acteristics pretty well defined. The
sporidia on wheat, it appears, may be de-
tected in the young seed in the very ear
liest stages of the flower bud. As develop
ment goes on, it occupies the whole in
terror of the grain, but is generally held
intact by the skin, which corresponds to
the bran of grain of wheat, hence, the
berry retains disappearance of soundness.
The sporidia are also often found intimate
ly infesting the fibrous covering of the
plant.
Some writers tell us that single grain
of wheat may contain more than a, 200, 900
of sporidia, and that each of these sporidia
may contain millions of sporules. twill
at once appear how great is theiEeaBBhhri IS {,
t9EH Hn spp6fdiiee contains germ which, un-
der favorable conditions, starts into life.
Those who are familiar with this fun
gus have doubtless noticed another pecul-
arity, namely, its offensive small. Flour
made from wheat containing 1t is often
thus rendered unfit for use.
We have heard that in some places the
wheat of this year has been injured by
this parasitic growth, and hence we take
occasion to refer to the subject to impress
upon our readers the importance of clean
wheat for seed. There is no doubt that
where the sporules of this fungus are pre-
sent in the seed sown, they will grow as
the plant grows, and at the time the grain
would naturally mature, they will develop
and transform the wheat berry into smut
ball.
All wheat intended for seed should be
washed, or picked before it is sown.
Sometimes washing in pure water has
been found effectual. Again, lime water
is frequently used as wash for seed wheat,
as is, also, brine; but the best method of
destroying the fungus Is to wash it in a
solution of sulphate of copper, (blue
vitrioD, which effectually destroys this
foreign growth or substance.
In this connection the following expert
ence of distinguished Scotch agricultur-
ist in regard to picking seed as a preven-
have long been of opinion that ball-smut
is a fungus propagated by adhering to the
seed, and unless this fungus is destroyed
before being sown all the grains infected
by it will be sure to produce diseased ears.
Smut is of two kinds. In one of them the
smut or black powder flies or wastes away
before the sound wheat becomes ripe,
while in the other the powder is inclosed
in skin frequently strong enough to re-
main unbroken when passing through the
threshing machine. The larger number
of balls, however, do get broken, the pow.
der discoloring the sample, giving it a
disagreeable smell and peculiar oily
feeling 1t is this variety which is de-
stroyed by picking. The other appears
to be propagated in some other way al
least, as yet no remedy has been found fol
checking it. Many years ago | rubbed
smut-balls among clean wheat, then
| picked part, and sowed both. The result
was the picked seed produced a healthy
crop, while of the unpickled portion there
was hardly one sound ear. | have again
and again seen the sowing of
| fields finished with unpickled seed
tell to the spot where the dressed and un-
dressed seed met. Old wheat should moi
be picked, as Its vitality will be some
times totally destroyed by it, and the fun
gus itself seems incapable of growth
when upward of twelve months old.
am far from SAYING that ball invariably
seed, as by careful selection of seed
this may be avoided for years. But the
little trouble and expense saved by not
picking seed is trifling indeed in compar-
ison TO the security given. have tried
picking barley for blackheads, where
the powder blows off before the grain is
ripe, but, as in wheat, without success.
Still, think it is worthy of further trial,
as it has appeared to me for the last two
or three years that many of the black
heads in both oats and barley are more
nearly allied than formerly to the true
ball in wheat. / should like to see exper-
iments made by sleeping grain different
lengths of time in sea water, or in water
salted TO the strength of swimming an egg.
This is said to be a remedy against mildew
and rust in warm climates, and possibly
II may prove equally efilcacious in Scot
land - Prairfe Farmer.