Morris tribune., 1904-08-27
RUST ITSELF Is A PARASITIC
PLANT PRESENT
ALL TIMES.
BLOWN ABOUT IN THE AIR
DEVELOPS ON THE WHEAT
WHEN WEATHER Is
DAMP AND MUGGY.

Dakota Agricultural College, has
contributed the following article on
the origin and nature of rust, which
has inflicted so much damage on the
wheat crop this year.
Fargo, N. D., Aug. II.
Just now there is much talk about
wheat rust; and the many strange,
not to say, queer statements which
one reads leads me to think that
many people are little hazv as to
what really causes rust. The cause
is as we'll known to some as IS the
common fact that trees usually grow
we'll in a fertile soil where there is a
moist, warm climate. Rust grows
from spores (seed) and in the absence
of the spores there can be no wheat
rust, regardless of what may be the
soil or climate. The spores, in
countless numbers, form the red
dust masses which blow from plant
to plant. The real rust plant is a
parasite and like smut of wheat
grove in the inside of the straws.
The spore masses, rust spots. on the
leaves and straw, break out about
ten to thirteen days after the first
infection. The two distinct species
of wheat rust form red spores in
every one of tt Q states south of this
point, all the year round upon some
plants; hence there are always
spores present to infect the wheat to
the north as fist as it reaches the
proper stage for infection, the spores
being carried from field to field by
the wind. Now this is where the
weather or atmosphere comes in. If
there is no moisture in the form Of
dew or rain to wet the leaves and
stems, the rust spores cannot sprout;
hence cannot infect the wheat. If
the weather is damp and muggy for
few hours just at the proper period
of growth of the crop and of the rust,
is sure to be large general infection.
IF this general infection comes early,
the crop is ruined because the vitality
of the attacked wheat is soon ex-
hausted by the internal growth of
the rust fungus and though rapid
loss of water from the broken places
IN the epidermis or skin of the wheat
plants. When the black spores
form they rupture the epideImis of
the straws very badly, thus allowing
the rapid escape of moisture from
straws. People in this state and
Minnesota are doing much harm to
wheat growers, everv time thev plant
q barbery bush. This ornamental
shrub harbors, in early spring, one
set Of the spores of the species of
rust which causes 40 called black or
"'stem" rust. Botanists have definite
ly determined that this set of spores
which grows upon the barberry
greatly increases the vigor of tha
'"stem" rust.
July 10 to II, I picked many pus.
tules of this rust from the bsrberry
hedge about the Catholic cathedral.
The bush is also found in other
yards about town, and was generally
infected on the dates mentioned.
The present season has been a
splendid one to develop the rusty
crop, because Of the slow growth
and moist atmospheric conditions,
The wheat plant, in other words, has
had to stay long time in the stage
Of development in which it is most
open to infection. Unless the first
infection OF field takes place as
early as the blossom stage rust can
do very little harm to crop. Most
people, however, fail to note this first
infection, which is usually rather
inconspicuous. often occurring on
but few plants in some part of
q large area of wheat, The spoEes
fern this first infection. are carried
to other plants from day to lay by
the winl and if moisture and tenn
perature are right, during the next
few days, ten days later the entire
field may be rusted as if scorched.
We observe that some varieties OF
wheat and other grains are more open
to rust attack than others. This
gives us hope that we may succeed
10 breeding up rust proof strain of /
fife or blue stem. The botanical de-
partment of the North Dakota Ex-
pertinent station has been doing