The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-02-27
Corn Smut as a Cattle
Poison.

B Prof. W. X ksdzie, Chemist 40 the
Kansas state Beard Ct A~grlcul-u 9 ]
alfred Gray, S~ecrtary Kansas
State Board Of Agr'culnre:
DEAR SIR-Toward the latter
part of last winter | received
from your office a letter, request
ing me, as Chemist TO your
Board, to investigate the subject
Of corn smut as a supposed pois
on, for the purpose of ascertain
ing: l. Whether the popular
belief as to its poisonous effects
when eaten by stock, had any
actual foundation in fact; ..
What part of the responsibility,
if any, could be properly assign
ed to this fungus for the very
serious losses of Kansas stock
growers during the preceding
autumn. This proposed inves-
tigation embraced: First, a
minute chemical analysis of the
smut F.; second, a course of very
careful experiments to deter
mine the effects of the smut
upon the animal system under
all normal conditions. For rea-
sons which | need not detail
here, it will be impossible for
me to complete the experimental
portion of this investigation /;
the chemical portion ofthe work
has been concluded with very
satisfactory results.
Corn smut isa fung u growth
known to botanists as Istil0gO
Mogidis. The plant itself is a
mass of fine flaments, which at
tack and rapidly destroy the
grain during the early part of
its formation. 1t is, however,
TO the masses of fine black spores
remaining in the autumn that
the term "smut" is popularity APP
piled. These spores correspond
to the seeds OF Heterogeneous
plants. There has been, up to
the present time, but one analysis
OF these spores upon record
that of the chemist Dulong.
This analysis was, however,
never completed, and is not now
accepted as satisfactory. From
a large quantity of the fungus
collected for me by Mr.. w. J.
Brous, from the valley of the
Blue river, | selected and sifted
a quantity of the spores, which |
submitted to a careful ANALYSIS,
obtaining the following results:
Water......... ......... 10 $50 ter cent.
Oil 1857
Sugar and gum...-... 1926
Albuminoids nitrogen,
1850 per cent )......... II .SO7
Crude cellulOse .......... 80. Ola "
Carbohydrates (other
than the above)...... $685. "
ASH 4.525
This ssh had the following
composition
11.70S per cent.
Lime l.1S3
MagneSla.. b 5
lrOn oxides ........... 4.4S9
TOCaSSa -. ...-.-..... 81 SAL
CnIOflne. | SSO
Sulphuric acid ........... 1856
PhOSphOric acid. -. 24.SO2
The results above given are
the means of closely corrtspon-
ding duplicate analyses. It is
interesting to note that the ma
terlal contains no trace whatever
Of true starch. If we proceed
upon the supposition that the
smut, when taken into the stom
ach, operates upon the system of
the animal as a poison, we may
reasonably surmise that this
poisonous effect arises from one
Of three causes. Either, /. From
some poisonous element present
In the spore itself; or, 2. From
some deleterious material gene
rated in the diseased grain, which
the fungus has produced or, 3.
From It's injurious action as a
mechanical irritant. AS to the
first supposition, the ANALYSIS
shows the presence of no such
poisonous matter-nor, indeed.
from the nature of the material.
would it be expected that the