The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-04-26
Wheat Mildew.

A disease that in a single year, ana in
a single district comprising about Co.,
600 acres, can so quickly and heavily
reduce an English wheat crop that, in
July, 1881, promised to be one of the
best that had been seen for many years,
as to cause a loss of So, 000, 600, is well
entitled to consideration in our own
wheat-growing country. The name
wheat mildew is given to that stage OF
the life of the parasitic plant causing
the disease which follows the rust; it
takes the external form of red or black
patches, disposed in rather irregular
lines on the leaves, straw and chat.
A long series of questions in regard to
it was sent ont by w. C. Little to En-
glish farmers, and the results appear in
q valuable paper contributed to the
journal of the Royal Agricultural
Society,""
According to the answers received,
low lands and very high exposed situa-
tons suffer most from the disease; that
crops which have been touched by
spring frosts are more liable to be at
tackled; that rain after hot weather
favors the attack, rather than merely
wet season in general. One csso in il
lustration of the last point is taken from
the writer's own farm; the disease ap-
peared all over the estate in eleven
days after shower following two hot
days; and, as eleven days are required
for the disease to appear externally
after the fungus which causes it begins
its life in the plant, he has no doubt
that all the mischief was started during
the hot weather and the following rain;
the spores or germs of the fungus had
already been sown on that wheat in
some way, and as soon as the necessary
conditions of heat and moisture for
their termination were fulfilled, they
sprang into life and took possession of
the crop.
AS to soil, it appears that the disease
is more prevalent on mucky and clay
soil than on light soil. On no point
was there more marked agreement in
the answers than the bad eject of fol-
lowing wheat right after clover; twen-
ty-one correspondents specified this
crop as one which appears to favor the
disease or as having preceded q particu-
lar wheat crop that was badly mil
dewed." As to the condition of the soil
and the manuring, while there was not
any striking uniformity of opinion, still
| it appears that mildew is more apt to
make trouble in connection with high
| farming, and that q crop too much
forced BY nitrates or any other nitrogen
! Gus manure is more susceptible to at
| tack. Both Dr. Lawes and DIR. Voelcker
give support to this view; the former
1 l. = E<.l1 -,
| crops manured with ammonia alone
were more commonly widowed than
those which were MANFRED with phos-
| pilates and potash as well as Ammonia
salts. DR.. Voelcker bases his opinion
on the result Of an analysis of soil
on which wheat had been for several
years badly blighted, and which, though
rich enough in potash, was poor in
phosphates and in lime, and on his own
observations in the country as to the
apparent condition of soii and manur
ing under which mildew prevails.
Herein, too, lies the explanation o.
the greater liability to mildew aftel
clover; for clover is regarded as ordi
narily good preparation for wheat
Just because it leaves the upper layer
of soil richer in nitrogen than the,
previously were. 1t is not that any de
| ficieucy or superabundance of any kint
of plant food can be the original caus'
of mildew; but that the plant is THEREBY
weakened and become less able to resis
the attack of the disease when it doe
come; Just as man in sound healtl
may laugh at many diseases to whicl
his weaker neighbors fall victims Mucl
evidence is offered that esrly maturiti
of the crop, secured often by early seed
ing, has in many cases saved it; and .
phosphates seem to hasten maturity
we may find herein . partial explana
| ton Of the apparent greater prevalence
Of the disease on soils deficient in phos
plate. 1t also appears from the teno
Of these replies that red wheats are les
liable to mildew than are white whests
| New Xe-E Tribune.