The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-06

Every farmer Is acquainted with smut, which
often grows upon The heads of grain and DIES
troys it, but every farmer does not know tina
it Is q sort of fungus. At the Farmers Insti
tute, held at Ithaca, Prot. Az Prentiss, of Cor
nell University, gave paper on Fungi,
from which we give some extracts: Every
one is more or less acquainted with the soft
varously shaped and colored succulent plant;
which abound IN our woods and meadows and
are known under the common names OF toad
stools, mushrooms and puff balls. But how
many are there that know that all forms OF
rust, smut mildew and mold are produced by
the growth of similar group OF plants, only
much smaller in size? Many OF this latter
class are so small that they can be seen only
with the aid Of the microscope, yet lhey are
found everywhere, and the number OF different
species is immense. The question naturally
arises. OF what use are these plants OF this
low order of growth Some we know are
beneficial, while many Others are injurious.
large number Of The mushroom family are
edible. some OF the pull balls are used for
staunchinc the flow OF blood, but BY far the
most valuable species are those which pro
duce ferments in the manufacture of liquors.
Yeast is only a tungoid plant. When
placed in the dough these plants multiply very
RAPIDLY; acids are formed and the bread rises
or becomes light. MlldeW, mold, smut and
rust are examples OF the most injurious kinds
of fungi, and are all very destructive to vege-
tation. The mildcw that at one time attacked
the grapevincs in France, and caused great
loss, and the history Of the potato rot in Ire
land are illustrations OF the destructive powers
of fungi
"If we take a common putf-bali and press it
in the hand we observe Il cloud OF dust rlSln
from it. This dust is It's seed, or what are
hall fil.n mil linn
of these spores. Rust and smut, as seen IN
wheat and other grain, are thought to be dis
tlnct species, but they are not, The vegetable
part OF these fungi, which answers to the roots
in higher plants consists of II large number OF
minute delicate threads, INTERVIEWING, and Of
ten uniting one to the other by means OF later
al branchlets These threads permeate the
leaves and stalks Of the different kinds of grain
on which the rust appears. From these threads
or roots the productive parts appear through
assures, giving the plants affected reddish
appearance, that we call rust These reddish
cOlored masses contain thousands OF spores,
which are blown about by the wind They
fall upon other plants and if the weather Is ia
vorable will sprout, grow and ripcn their seed
in two days, SO that in IA short time a whole
field may be badly injured or almost totally
DESTROYED. The spores from the rust develop
into smut thus smut and rust alternate smut
carrying through the winter the spores which
produce the rust. Sometimes rust is more
abundant, and sometimes smut, depending
upon the conditions tavorlng the termination
of the spores. The remedy for smut and rust
is to avoid sowing the spores with the seed.
The spores may be killed by wetting the grain
in brine and then rolling it in lime. If this is
properly done ii kills the seed Of the rust with
out injurirg the grain
1t would be well to wash the seed in two or
three successive strong brlnes before coating
1t with the brine The abundant use of salt
lime gympsum or charcoal, and the absence
of fresh animal manures, will be found of use
as preventlvcs. Select hardy varieties of grain,
as these partially resist, and SOW on elevated
lands where there is a free circulation Of ar
" y Uelu6.