Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-04-30
LETTERS on NATURAL HISTORY.
Fungi.
No. 5.
BY DE-. HIRAM A, CUTTINg

By DR. HIRAM A. CUTTING.
Not only is the study of microscopic
plant growth of interest to the botanist,
but the study of fungi possesses more than
ordinary interest to the husbandman
whose crops often lie at the mercy Of some
of this class of parasites, and to his family.
as their welfare often depends upon these
minute organisms. Even n slight acquaint-
ance with few of these wonderful little
plants would renler the walk for exercise
or pleasure ten times more valuable, and
often remunerative. Who even without
special thought upon the subject has moi
noticed along the roadside early as June,
where blackberry bushes are found among
weeds and grass, that their leaves were
powdered underneath with rich golden
dust, which might be shaken from little
orange cups? Many times from children,
and often also from the middle aged and
old, has come the query as to what it was.
On other bushes also, when yielding fruit,
even, to tempt women. men. boys and
madens; yet would they turn aside, be
cause the dust was ominous, but in what
way or from whence it came, none knew.
Those dusty looking lilac bushes, so
dusty ere the close of summer that no rain
could wash them clean, nor ever will, so
long as that peculiar white egg-mould
riots on the upper surfaces of their leaves
The crystalline drops of permanent dew,
on some refuse matter, often attract atten-
tion rs they glisten in the sun, but few
stop to examine and see the white threads
in countless numbers that permeate them
Though such things often attract atten
ton, they are soon forgotten when we
know nothing about them, and no one is
there to tell us an adecdote from their his
tory. Cunningly, wisly and full of secrel
hidden meaning, thousand forms of low
er vegetable life look up into our faces.
while we, with repressed curiosity and no
quite willing tread them under our feet
How few even ever stop to think that they
are leaves in the great book Of nature, ami
consequently worthy the reading. and thai
to every one who will study those pages
and translate the hieroglyphics, that th'
time and trouble of deciphering would be
richly rewarded by the knowledge OBJ
tainel.
How thankful am to you," said II
friend, "that you have told me so much
about the lchens in our pastures. They
are now q great source of happiness 10
me; formerly detested them"
1.-The best lectures on botany" said a
well known and highly appreciated edu-
Gator, "are lessons upon every plant we
meet" Yes, within reach of all OF us is
study for lifetime, and we may thus not
only please ourselves, but by-and-by be
considered benefactors. With an intention
to introduce few of these little parasil-
ical growlhs to the attention of the reader,
and to make plain and easy what at first
seems so obscure and mysterious, | will
bring forward some of the more common
species, and explaining by word and fig
ure their form and habits, endeavor to in
terest you to such an extent that you will
be willing at least to acknowledge their
power for good Or evil, and know where
to find your enemy, when pet plants, OF
fields of grain, grasses or patatoes, are
likely 10 fail under the evil so widespread
and fatal.
First we will consider the
CLUSTER CUPS.
NJ. G. Cooke, the great English writer
ON fungi, divides them into six families
In one of these families the spores are the
principal feature. This family is called the
"dust fungi" (COniOmycetes). OF course
it contains many groups called families or
orders, which are analogous to the natural
orders of Towering plants. Without emu
merating any of the various character.
istcs of these orders, | will select one
typical plant. The spores are enclosed in
distinct peridium Covering for tn,
StcuS) j. lIllo 10 IL CH l'-SiitpOu cASlSoOOhot
on the infested leaves This order is calleC
-Kcidiacei. They are always developed
on living plants, sometimes on the flow
crs, frait or stems, but usually on the
leaves; occasionally on the upper surface
but almost always on the under side o.
the leaf.
The different species are distributed
widely over the entire world. They may
be found on every continent, and on al
most every island. When examined they
look like minute cups upon the leaf ant
hence we call them " cluster cups" Be
sides the generic name they have also add
cd II specific name, generally derived
from some plant they are known to infest
but this must not lead the student to sup
pose that one species is only found on tha
particular plant, for most of them infes
many plants, yet some of course to
greater extent than others.
We must therefore look to the actua
differences in the fungi, not in the plant
they infest. Their method of reproduction
and growth will firm the subject of ou
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