The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-03
THE WHEAT RUST.


The journal of the Royal Agricultural Society
of England has just devoted sixty pages to the
wheat rust Puscina graninis). The secretary
of the society sent out list of questions to the
British farmers in regard to this rust, and has
received answers from all parts of the country.
The most important facts CLEANED from the
answers are
First-Those in regard to atmospheric eondi-
tons. Spring frostS heavy rainfalls, violent
changes of temperature and thunder storms are
most favorable to the rapid growth and develop
ment of the rust
Second-Those in regard to soils DIR.
Larves has laid down the law, after much
experience, that plants sown on soil con
tanning organic matter are more liable to
be attacked by animal and plant parasite. The
farmers state that wheat sown peat and clay
soils is more attacked than that sown on gravel
and light land, and that wheat put into newly
broken soil is always covered with rust The
soils above. which favor the development of rust,
have about 3 per cent. of mineral matter those
that are unfavorable 81 per cent This is in &C
cordance with what Dr. Larves has stated. In
developing low plants in the laboratory it is nee
essary to give them much moisture, As was ex
pected, undrained land was found favorable to
the rust. Doubtless there was another reason
for this. The host plant would not be
as strong if grown ON wet land
Unhealthy plants like unhealthy animals are
more liable to disease.
Third-As to the rotation of crops: DR.. Voelcher,
chemist of the Royal Society, has made series
of interesting experiments. He analysed four
quite different kinds Of soil in order to ascertain
the amount of heterogeneous matter present He
then examined the wheat growing each kind
with great care, and found that the rust varied
as the amount of heterogeneous matter His next
step was to analyze clover, which proved to have
a large per cent of heterogeneous matter. From
his experiments he concluded that wheat
should not be sowA after clover. His
conclusions were verified by experience,
The farmers announce that wheat sown after
clover was much affected by rust. The knowl
edge gained in regard to sowing wheat after
clover shows the immediate value of such Stats
tics as those gathered by the Royal Agricultural
Society. Its value on other points will be felt
when future experimental work needs TO be sub
stantiated by direct evidence. No remedy for
rust is known, hence the conditions under which,
it is developed are particularly reliable The
low plants hold on to life with such tenaeity
that some believe no remedy will ever be found,
for whatever destroys the rust will also destroy
the wheat
Would net series ofquestions like those which
were put to the British farmers be of use in this
STATED One fact brought out by the above
port has been demonstrated and taken advantage
of here. The earlier varieties of wheat are now
more sown, and they are sowR earlier than form
erly. because not so much attacked by rust The
British farmers seem to think that white wheats
suffer more than red, but | am not informed that
any such distinction exists here
The rust's place in nature seems to be known
to all. Not long since, farmer in describing it,
told how the wheat plant cracked open. the sap
eXuded and dried on the stem. forming the rust.
The following description is taken from Bessey's
Botany, which is founded upon the investigations
Of Sach, DeBary and other continental botanists
Anyone who will take the trodbe to
look at the rust in the different stages under the
microscope can see much more than will be given
here. Prof Besseys description is taken be
cause it is well to give ones authority, since
there is doubt in some minds as TO the origin
and history of the rust. The rust is a plant that
changes from host to host during different stages
Of development ''Thefe appears the bar
berry in spring yellow swollen spots of what has
long been called barberry cluster cups, or bar
berry rust Later in the season and usually
after the cluSter-cupS have entirely disappeared
from the barbelry, the uredo stage begins to
make its appearance first upon the leaves
and then upon the stems of the wheat oats
etc At first it may be detected
by the pale yellow or Whitish spots on the leaves:
these mark the place where the uredospores are
beginning to form beneath the epidermis
Within a few days the uredospores break
through the epidermis and expose leng lines OF
the orange-coored spores By the quick ger
mination of the uredospofes, first produced the
fungus is greatly increased. that frequently the
host plant is destroyed before reaching its ma
turity This stage is popularity known as the
red rust of wheat oats, barley, and other similar
grasses Still later in the season. and usually
after the ripening of the host plants, the dark
eolofed tellutospores appear in long
black hines, sometimes upon the leaves,
but more frequently upon the stem and in ordi
t,atrtY Of
the stubble This stage is known as the black
rust These tellutospofes remain upon the dead
stems through the yinCer and in the following
spring germinate and produce the yellow spots
on the barberry,' The above view of the rust
was demonstrated by such careful experiments
in Germany thatit was accepted there. England
however, has had its scientific and practical
skeptics. Dr. Plowright represented the first
class Three years ago after experiments run
ming through several months he declared he
did not believe there was any connection
between barberry rust and wheat
rust. year later he made an
other set of experiments. He was then able in
every case to produce raspberry rust from wheat
rust, and vice versa. The English scientific
men no longer doubt. It would be well if the
practical skeptc, in the person of the English
farmer, could be converted. While he has al
ways believed that there Was some connection
between barberry and wheat rust, he has con
tinued to separate his fields by hedges composed
of this shrub.
Many fungi have history similar to that of
the wheat fungus. One will appear soon on the
dandelion. Both sides of the leaf will be COW
cred with little heaps of brown dust, surrounded
by the broken epidermis of the leaf. The same
plant appears later in the season on other
composite. This fungus can readily DO seen
with the aid of pocket lens.
The wheatrust will always be of most interest to
the farmer doubtless He becomes sentimental
in spite of himself, as he tells of the wheat
which one morning bends gracefully under the
of hat has 6v rod fba
human race and the next standing erect and
stiff. covers him with something that is painfully
suggestive of blood. l.. j. MARTIN.
HIGH SCHOOL, INDIANAPOLIS
Why Some Manuscripts Are Rejected