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JJie CoiDitry Gcntlcinaiis Magazine 



accompanied by a good crop. If so, I sup- 

 pose the explanation is this, that a season 

 which is favourable to the production of 

 smut is also favourable to the corn. As to 

 bunt or bladder brand, or stinking rust, this 

 parasite completely fills the seeds and re- 

 places the flower with a black disgusting 

 powder, smelling almost like putrid fish. 

 The infected grains are of a dark green 

 colour, and at length become brown. If a 

 grain is opened it is found filled with a black 

 greasy powder. When the wheat is thrashed, 

 the infected grains are broken, and the 

 sporules stick to the sound grains and ulti- 

 mately inoculate them. The object of dress- 

 ing the wheat, therefore, is to wash off the 

 spores, and if possible destroy their vitality. 

 Some farmers dress their corn with arsenic, 

 but I cannot think it is likely to do much 

 good, while there are great objections to it. 



All farmers; or nearly all, know something 

 of the parasites which I have mentioned, but 

 perhaps there may be many who have never 

 seen the next— I mean ergot. The grain is 

 completely changed, both in form and pro- 

 perties. It is black, and looks like the spur 

 of a cock. It has long been known to be 

 a powerful medicine. It has not so long 

 been discovered that it causes most dread- 

 ful diseases when it has been eaten with corn. 

 Rye is very subject to ergot, and it was sus- 

 pected that certain dreadful diseases, formerly 

 prevalent in some parts of France, were due 

 to this cause. There seems little doubt that 

 it was so, and it appeared probable that 

 ergot has been the cause of dreadful disease 

 even in Suffolk. It appears from the parish 



register of Wattisham that in the year 1762 

 several persons suffered from an unusual kind 

 of mortification of the limbs. In this case 

 no doubt it was due to the ergot of wheat. 

 Where lands are well drained, little or no 

 ergot is to be found ; bitt doubtless at that 

 date there was plenty of wet, undrained land 

 to favour its growth. But although ergot is- 

 now uncommon on Avheat and rye in this, 

 country, it is often common on grasses. And 

 it is not unlikely that it may be the cause of 

 some of the mysterious diseases of cattle. 

 Drainage is the great cure for it. 



I now turn to the last disease of the grain 

 which 1 purpose mentioning — the ear cockle 

 or peppercorn, which is one of the most 

 extraordinary diseases to which wheat is 

 liable. The grains affected by it look just 

 like black peppercorns, and the whole ear is 

 altered in appearance. When the grain is 

 cut in pieces, it is found full of a cottony 

 substance packed close together. If the grain 

 is fresh, and a little of this cottony substance 

 be placed with a drop of water under the 

 microscope, it is found to be a mass of eel- 

 shaped creatures, which wriggle about with 

 great vigour. If, however, the ear cockle has 

 become dry, it must be steeped in water for a 

 few hours before the ear is opened, or they 

 will shew no life or motion. Som.etimes 

 40,000 to 50,000 of these little creatures are 

 packed together in one grain. Any one who 

 has a moderately good microscope can verify 

 this for themselves. It would be a good 

 thing if more time were spent in searching 

 into the wonders of creation which the micro- 

 scope reveals. 



