Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-03-14

II, conccptacle Of Erisyphe comn,u
mis-; b, sporangium of the same high
ly nagnIfed. Its varieties are al
known as- bris:le mould, and attacr
damp paper or books; damp spaci
mems in the collections of our Oota
nists arc frequently nearly ruined
aud like other fungi they are dreaded
pests.
RAPID GROWTH OF FUNGI: YEAS
PLANT.
Yeast is we'll known substance t.
all housekeepers, but all do not know
that it is Il plant that thrives on su
gar or nitfogeHous matter. When the
plant is examined under the micro
scope it is found to be composed O
myrads of minute cells, about one
twenty-four hundrcdth of an inch il
diameter. During the progress OF
fermentation these cells rapidly in
crease ia number, until all the mate.
rial necessary to their growth is used
up. Its rapid growth, and the evolu.
ton of carbonic acid gas, from such
growth, makes it convenient for the
housewife to raise her bread. She
prepares her material. puts IN her
seed, which is some Of the spores OF
the plant; either dry or in fluid, they
immediately commence their growth
The cells grow together in chains,
and when stirred they sometimes ap.
pear like threads, which are in reality
bundles of the tbers Of the yeast
plant.
II the yeast is not used in this con-
ditlon, the plant nourishment is soon
used up, putrefaction commences, and
with it comes a swarm of animulculcS
countless as they are minute, and vo-
raciously devouring all in their way,
until they also die from want Of food,
changing the yeast frequently to a
mass of animal and vegetable putre-
faction. This soon subsidies and vim
egar is the result.
This can he more fully exempliied
by milk yeast, which sooner as every
housewife knows, passes through its
various stages, and sometimes is not
baked until the putrescence is such as
to be hardly enduvable to many per-
sons.
With this example Of fungus growth
before their eyes, who can wonder
that the various fungi in the State Of
Vermont alone cost the agricuturist
many millions Of dollars. They blight
the fruit trees from the seed they
blight his grain crop more or less
every year they blight his fruit from
blossom to its end, pursuing it with a
determined hate; they mildew his
heans and peas they impair his corn
and potatoes; they poison his hay,
and disease his cattle; they destroy
his loved ones, often with insi1ious
disease, and then rot out his store
houses, his dwelling, aud even fast
ening upon himself, claim him at last
us fit ground on which 10 r;ren their
spores for deadly work on others.
No pest is so deadly, nohe so insidi-
Gus in its workings, none so varied,
meeting ne everywhere and under a.
most all conditions. insignificant in
themselves, their very obscurity gives
them the best chances to do us injury.
They have their enemies, countless
animalcules feed upon their various
forms, yet no family is rendered cx-
tnct. The very atmosphere we
breathe is often hazy with the spores
of various fungi. The only wonder
is, why anything or any condition of
plant or atmosphere can hold the va
rious families Of fungi in check.
Some suppose them Of spontaneous
growth. Why is there need Of such
supposition when their minute spores
capable Of producing their like can
not even be excluded wherever the
atmosphere is present? The wonder
is quite the other way, for it is won
der that they don't destroy more than
they do.
TO be continued.)