The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-09-27

worthy ofsa note. Think, though, from
reading and observation, that the insect
trouble in general is confined to old lands
or wet bottoms, or too early sowing. Cure:
good uplands, well prepared at tho proper
time and sowed as above directed.
RUST.
This is the great terror of the wheat
grower, and one which has baffled the skill
OF agricultural chemists through all the
past. 1T remedy has been discovered it
has not yet reached us. If it is ever dis
raxersa i VII he hS sassss,l!. .;asss.isa,
enter INTO and effect tho character and
growth of the plant. Viewing the subject
i'll this light, have gone to considerable OK
pcnse OF time, money and labor to search out,
if possible the cause of tie existence of this
terrible destroyer, and though not through
with my investigations nor thoroughly sat
isfied with their correctness, lay them be-
fore the reader, if for no other reason than
that they may stimulate inquiry on this i'm
portant subject.
Take green stalk of wheat into your
mouth and chew it and you will readily per-
ceiye that there are at least two ingredients
in it with the taste of which you are per-
fectly familiar, viz: sugar and salt, the su.
gar being vety. perceptible to the taste, the
ssls A5sscls SO. BY analysis it will be found
Et4tt ttthe sugaror sweet constituent contains in
FaddWion5a substance called "gluten," H.
kqnid called ''albumen" and substance called
Starch. The salt principle, when analysed,
produces common salt, u little phosphorus,
nitre or saltpetre, and some traces of lime,
with the addition of colorinG matter and
other elements too tedious to mention here.
Take blade of wheat on which the rust
has just begun to show itself; place it un-
der the lcnsc of microscope and you will
discover that what appeared to your eyes as
nero brown speck, is really a living, or.
ganizcd growth, vegetable in its character
and of the fungi or mushroom genus or
race as to its nature. Now how did this
fungi or parasite, if you please, get here
If you will carefully remove the fungi and
again examine with the microscope you will
perceive that the external coating of the blade
has been ruptured either by attrition or
| abrasion, or some other sufficient cause to
that envelopes the blade. Through this
break small portion of this sweet juice Of
which spoke has cxudcd, and coming in
contact with the carbonic acid of. the air,
fermentation was produced, and the product
of that fermentation was, or is, this brown
fungi that you see on the blade of wheat
Now in a short space, say in few hours
from its appearance on the blade, it arrives
at maturity, or the capacity for reproducing
itself. Every breath of air or drop of wa
tor passing over it watts or carries the small
dust-like sporules from blade to blade and
wherever it finds. iodsment its poison is so
api;,-,-rnut Immediately other ruptures of
tho delicate membranes are produced and
new iunSI till, with favorable conditions of
weather, whole fields are swept over in a
few hours.
What is the cause of this dreadful dis.
ease? For an answer we can onlv nres.n n,
some data gathered up in tho past, and
that data should reveal the cause. the
7 question is in great measure answered.
\ EslgSt i is notorious that rust is most prev.
plant Bsihg 1ndduaySy Ff0s'ssssd Yard Yasss
growth, imbibcs greater quantity Of swcss
or sacarine uico than it is capable of using
in the development of grain, at the same
time an insufficient quantity of silicious
matter is produced to form q sufficient ex.
ternal coating or membrane for the stalk
and blade, the forced growth of the plant
and the poverty of the soil in what might
call soluble glass, (to convey my idea in
more simple language,) not furnishing s,t;. Il
:, y ssisg sough ghusss 20 sextst,
.ne aotoss aaof OF her. IL Esems Co mo 40.
ident that If some means could be d;sco,,
cred by which theSstalk could be made hor
dcr' viz: giving il athickor coat, thot ths
chance for rust would be in great meosnrs
obviated and thus one great draw.bacl o0 .
wheat culture removed. believe IL ;s aon
orally known that little complaint ;s maJo
of rust by farmers who reside in those 'Io III"
tricts whose soil is of that character Lnnwn ~
as "caloarious," that is, containing Inv
and yet we know that tho simple onnl;co'
ton OF lime to our soils does not alwavs 70.
SUIT III preventing rust. One reason NAV
be assigned for this: The process Of m:
king lime depriyes it of salt, which is ;,s
natural concomitant in soils where Il ov;at0
~ its natural state hence we might mfr
that salt in thspsoportien Of saw s auara . 81
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