The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-11-17
Corn smut Fungi.

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At the close of every season the farm
er finds more or less smutty corn in his
field. In general appearance this pest
is SO familiar to all growers of the Lead
inc American field grain crop that but
few words are needed to describe it As
to its real nature and microscopic
structure not SO much is known, and
upon this part of the subject the follow
| ing mostly pertains.
The smut in Indian corn is not only
the work of fungus, but is fungus in
itself. The trouble is caused by fun
gus; the smut is the fungus in its last
stages of growth as found upon the corn
plant. But some reader may ask:
What is fungusP This is not an alto
gether easy question to ask. 1t is q
plant. A fungus is member of low
order of flowerless plants and has no
leaves or true roots. A most familiar
example of a fungus is seen in the COM
toadstools. These are among the larger
forms of these low and comparatively
simple plants. The various kinds of
molds that grow upon the breads.
cakes, preserves. etc., are all fungi and
are nearer the corn smut plant in struct-
ure than the mushroom and toadstool.
Fungi propagate by means of spores.
These are small bodies usually spherical
in shape and microscopic in size. They
are produced in great abundance and
are so light that they are carried here
and there by every passing breeze.
Scientific men who have examined the
subject most carefully tell us that the
ordinary air contains many of these
spores to every square root. and they
are ready to terminate and grow SO
soon as favorable conditions are pro-
duced. As they need moisture and n
good degree of heat (and of course
some substance upon which to grow it
is easy to see the reason for the preva-
lencc of mods during damp weather in
summer. 1t is at such times that the
housewife has the greatest trouble in
keeping her bread and other articles of
food from being spoiled by rapid de-
velopment of molds upon them.
But this will be sufficient for brief
description of fungi, and we will now
look into the nature of the smut that
grows upon the corn.
There are two general classes of fun
81. those that grow upon dead and de-
caying organic substances. and those
known rs parasites that grow upon liv-
ing substances, often TO their destruc-
ton. Among the latter class are such
pests to the farmer as the potato rot,
wheat rust, oat and barley smut, etc.
The gardener has his raspberry rust,
onion smut. peach curl and grape mil
dew. The list OF parasitic fungi is a
long one, and the corn smut is only one
of larger number of these peculiar
pests to farm and garden crops.
The case of the corn smut is one
where one plant-a small one-grows
upon and derives its nourishment from
the elaborated juices of another.
1t is not known just how the corn
smut first starts its destructive growth.
but as the spores are so smell and light
it is probable that they reach the corn
plant from the air, and, falling upon
the surface of leaf or stem, soon
terminate and send their threads or
filaments into the tissue of the stem
or leaf. After entrance has been
effected the threads increase in
number and length, running in all di-
rections on the substance of the corn
plant, robbing it of nourishment as it
goes. After growing for time the
smut plant prepares for the production
OF a new crop or spores, by means OF
which the pest is carried through the
winter and this species of smut perpet-
uated. This formation of spores usual
ly takes place in the tissue of grains of
corn. At first the infested grains are
noticed to be of unusual size, followed
in short time by a dark color within
until the grains have reached large di-
mansions many times their normal
size, and are soft and spongy through
out. In short time the interior of the
grain, in fact nearly all within the
hull, is composed of dark. sticky mass
of purplish spores. The early >tages Of
corn smut are not easily noticed, be-
cause the ears are covered closely with
the husks. and the first signs of the pest
are the black and unsightly masses very
appro priately known as smut.
The production of the spores is not
entirely confined to the ears, but make
their appearance in the tassel or male
flowers at the top of the stalk. and in bad
cases the joints of the stems and the ribs
in the leaves are Likewise affected.
The number of spores that single
smutted corn plant will produce is al
most beyond computation. As the
spores are the. means of propagation
OF the pest, and the smut is composed
of these spores, it is clear that, in order
TO check the increase of this pest. the
spores should be destroyed. This can
be done by burning all smutted ears.
Smut is injurious to live stock that eat it
in their fodder; it acts both as poison
and mechanical irritant.
1t is thought by some corn growers
that the smut is planted with the corn,
adhering to the grains. 1t is recon-
melded to wash the grain and dust it
with lime or ashes before planting
Cor. Farmers RerieU.