DISEASES OF CEREALS AND GRASSES 45 



still this smut, like the rest, must ])e looked upon as 

 all undesirable quantity. The amount of the brown 

 powder (smut spores), shed on the g"rass and hay, 

 causes the latter to become so black as to make it 

 doubtful whether it is wise to feed such hay to 

 stock. The oflumes — chaff — are said not to be 

 attacked, but the writer has seen whole areas of 

 smutted brome grass with the glumes also attacked ; 

 perhaps this was caused by a variety of the above 

 species. Instead of the grass seed a mass of spores 

 is produced. 



Prez 'eiUive Measu res, — 



1. Soft Brome {Broniits mo//is) is an undesirable 

 annual plant, therefore pasture for a year or two, 

 and keep from seeding. 



2. Apply manures to improve the quality of the 

 herbage. 



(o-) Tall Oat Grass Smut ( Ustilago pcrciuians) . 



This is widespread and of frequent occurrence. 

 The mycelium rests over winter in the rhizome, 

 i.e. below the surface. 



Prevention. — Hot water treatment of the seed 



(P- 29)- 



II. Bunt {Tilletia Tritici'), Class: Telios- 



PORE.E ; Order : Ustilaginales ; Family : Til- 



LETIACE/E. 



Bunt, or, as it is sometimes called, stinking 



1 Kiihn describes a species T. licvis, which causes bunted grains, 

 and differs from T. Tritici only in having smooth spores. 



