Brookings register. (Brookings, S.D.) 1890-1894, 1893-09-29
RUST OF SMALL GRAIN.
Prof. T. A. Williams Presents Valuable
Information Regarding Rusts.

Information Regarding Rusts.
Press Bulletin.
The red and black rusts of the
various small grains are due to para
site plants OF Il comparatively low
order of development. They are with
out green cOlOring matter, and belong
to class of plants known as FUNGI.
These fungOuS parasites are endowed
with characteristics which give them
wonderful powers Of adapting them
selves to their surroundings. The
ruStS most common and most in
furious in this state belong TO two
species (PUCCINIA GRAMINIS and u.
RUBIG O-VERA.) The former is per-
hapS the more common and Injurious
of the two, and hence goes by the
name of the common rust" The
name rust with various modifying
terms is applied to a host Of fungOus
parasites belonging to the same ma
tural family (UREDINEAE). While
the various rusts differ in many
respects yet i'm general it may be said
that they all have, under proper cir
cumStanccs, similar life history.
The common rust of wheat and oats
was perhaps the first TO attract much
attention because of its injurious
nature and hence economic import
ance. II was early noticed that wheat
fields surrounded by barberry hedges
were much more liable to injury from
rust than were fields well separated
from the hedges. This led the
farmers to suspect that there was
some connection between the barberry
and the wheat rust. Furthermore
hnt Inn YJ =,
cumStanceS the removal Of barberry
hedges lessened materially the severity
OF the rust plague. This led to legis-
latiOn on the subject and We find that
France, England. and other European
countries considered means Of limiting
or prohibiting the growing Of barber
ry hedges in the wheat growing dis
trictS, more than century ago. A
law was enacted in New England in
1860, making it unlawful to grow bar
berry.
At first scientists scoffed at the idea
that the barberry had anything to do
with wheat rust. 1t was found, how
ever, that barberry was affected with
rust which though different in ap-
pearance from wheat rust was found
to be most damaging on the same year
This induced bOtaniStS to endeaVOr to
discover whether or not there was
really any genetic connection between
the two. DR.. Anton DeBary was one
OF the first to get any unqueStiOnable
results from his experiments. He
found that by sowing spores Of black
rust of wheat on barberry leaves he
could produce barberry rust then in
turn with rust spores from barberry
he produced red rust of wheat, and
this finally gave him black rust.
From these results obtained again and
again he concluded that barbcrry rust.
red rust of wheat. and black rust of
wheat were simply different stages of
the same fungOuS parasite, one stage
Of its round of life being passed upon
the barberry and the remainder upon
the wheat or other small grains. An
other fact was found to be true also
which shows the wonderful power of
adaptability of the ruStS. Black rust
spores SOWed upon the wheat plant
were found to be- capable of producing
red rust which later developed black
rust again as before. In Oth Ter words it
was found that while normally the
rust passed through barbcrry rust
stage, red rust stage, and a black
rust stage, yet if no barberry was pre-
sent the first or barberry stage could
be omitted and only the red and black
rust stages produced. Thus it was
clear that though the removal of bar
berry hedges would undoubtedly
lessen the chances for rust plague
still if conditions were favorable rust
might be developed i'm injurious
quantities. Since then many other
ruStS have been followed out through
their complete life history and SINH
lar condition of things has been found.
The work of DR.. DeBary, Tulasne
and Sch9ler has been confirmed by
many observers on both sides of the
ocean.
This season it was my fortune to be
permitted to study an outbreak of
wheat rust which very clearly indicat-
ed the influence that a comparatively
small amount of barberry hedge may
exert when conditions are favorable.
Near Lake Preston series Of bar
berry hedges has been grown for
several years. 1t has been noticed
that for like number of years the
grain to the northwest and southeast
of the hedges has rusted more or less.
usually considerably more than in
any other place in the vicinity, though
other places are more favOrably
situated for the development of rust
so far as soil conditions are concerned.
This season the bdrberry was badly
rusted during June and July, and it
was noticed that after several days,
during which strong winds prevailed
from the southeast, that the grain to
the north and west of the hedges was
beginning to suffer very badly from
r1St inailarIu follQWinn tho dirnc-