Sharp County record., 1888-04-19
RUST AND SMUT.
Remedies Applicable to Different Kinds
of Seed Parasites.


The prevalence of rust and smut in
oats reduces the value of the product
of tbs crop fully 10 per cent, or, in
round numbers more than 60 OO). 900
bushels worth in the aggregate Sl5,-
900, 900. By the expenditure of only
ST. 800 in the purchase of an eff ,ctivc
remedy for this parasite, (viz., sui
phate of "copper" used IN the common
solution of four ounces in n gallon of
water for six bushels of seed,) this
large loss may be avoided. The same
result may be secured in the case of
corn and wheat, both of which crops
are seriously damaged by the smut
parasite. 1t is q timely subject to
consider, now that the sowing time
of oats and the planting of corn
are approaching. Few farmers
think of treating their seed oats
and corn in this way, although the
wheat seed is almost wholly disin-
fectel, and the favorable results with
this crop should be an encouragement
to apply the remedy to the others
which are equally affected. There are
other rene les which are effective, the
best of which, for many reasons, is
fresh air-slaked lime, well mixed with
the seed previously stepped in water,
ard moistened to cause the lime to ad.
here. These remedies are applied
twenty-four hours before sowing to
give time for the seed to dry.
The nature Of rust and smut is not
perfectly understood, and a careful
Investigation of these parasitic dis
eases of plants would be most use
full work for some well-managed ex-
pertinent station TO engage in. While
the botanical character of the large
family of rusts is we'll known,
its whole life history is not and
it is supposed that the smuts are
only secondary form of the
rus S. This is exceedingly doubtful
and for many reasons an untenable
hypothesis. BIT that the rusts are
very closely relate |, SO much so as to
own in many cases one parentage is Il
matter of much probability. 1t is adj
mtted that the rust of barberry in
fects wheat and produces the disease
upon this plant, and the writer has
found much evidence to prove that the
blackberry rust will do the same. 1t
may be quite possible that these rustS
which partake of the same specific
character are really trans sferable from
one host to another and vary in some
degree rs the character of the host
varies. This variation clearly occurs
in some kinds of plant lic1, which
change color upon different varieties
of plumb trees, being green upon some
and brownish red upon others, and if
this happens with insects why not
with the rusts?
The result follows then that the
remedies applicable to one kind Of
rust may be effective with others. This
has been shown to be the case as re-
CARDS the rust of wheat oats, straw
berries, and backberries, which are
all prevented by the use of caus,ic
lime, in the form Of the fine dry pow
der due to air CT wafer shaking the
fr,s sh quicklime, or to the sulphate OF
copper solution. 1t is also true in re-
gard 10 the smut of oats, corn and
wheat. and the similar fungus which
produces the rot in potatoes, and is be-
lieved to be effective with the black rot
in grapes At any rate so much is
known of the effectiveness of these
remedies that it is wise to make use
of them by applying them TO the seed
S. as to destroy the spores of the fun
gus. whicli re the seed from which
the new generation is originated.-N
Y Times