253 



The S311 t of Indian ((tRX (TJstilago maydis). C. E. Bessey, 

 Ph. D. (pp. 25-iJ5), (illustrated). — ^»'()tes on the g'eneral appearance 

 of this disease; prevalence in this coinitry and Europe: amount of 

 injury to ci-op and to cattle; structure, growth, and name of the 

 fungus: and measures for reducing the amount of sunil. The fol- 

 lowing " ]K)j>ular summary " is taken from the l)ulletin : 



("oni siimt is widely distriliutod throu.LChoul this country iuid tlie Old World. 

 Tlio injury rosulting from its attacks varies from a fraction of 1 per cent to 

 more than half of the crop. 



Experimenters differ in their opinions as to its harm fulness when eaten hy 

 cattle, but it is certain that it is not an active poison. 



Tlie black powder of the smut consists of tlie spores, which are simple, seed- 

 like, reproductive bodies. These reproduce snuit nuich ms seed reproduce ordi- 

 nary plants. 



Snmt spores may grow in manure and liquids in the barn-yard for an indefi- 

 nite period. 



The smut enters the corn when it is very young, penetrating the soft tissues 

 of the lowest joint and the root of the small plant. 



Smut does not pass from plant to plant in the corn field. 



Outward applications to the affected corn plant will do no good, for the fun- 

 gus is inside, and no a]>plication will reach it. 



Cai'e should be taken to keep the groutid from becoming filled with spores. 



By a rotation of crops the increase of smut may be prevented. 



Domestic animals should not be allowed to eat the snuit in the field, for they 

 will distribute the spores in their droppings. 



Care should be taken not to contaminate yard manure with the spores. 



Infected stalks should be removed from the field before the smut balls open, 

 and then be carefully destroyed. 



Plant none but seed whicli is perfectly free from smut spores. 



The spores adhering to seed corn may be killed bj' immersion in a sti'ong 

 solution of blue vitriol. In a general way the proportion may be given as fol- 

 lows, viz : Use (IS many pounds of blue vitriol ns gallons of loater. The immer- 

 sion should not last longer than fifteen or twenty minutes. If the wet corn is 

 placed upon sloping boards, the liquid may be drained off and used over again a 

 number of times. 



A PRELIMINARY ENUMERATION OF THE RUSTS AND SMUTS OF NEBRASKA, 



H. J. Webber, B. S. (pp. 37-82). — This is prefaced wdth an explana- 

 tory introduction by Dr. Bessey. The article contains a list of 119 

 species of rust and 21 of smut, Avith brief notes, and an index to the 

 host plants. 



XoTES ON FI^NGI OF ECONOMIC INTEREST OBSERAEl) IN LaNCAS'TOR 



County. Nebraska, during the simmer of 1889, E. Pound, B. A. 

 (pp. 83-91). — A list of 75 species, with brief notes. 



Observations on the cotton-wood (Populis monilifera), A. F. 

 "Woods (pp. 93-97). — Observations of the dates of the ap])carance 

 and fall of the leaves, the angles of branches, and the number of 

 latei-al and terminal l)uds on trees of both sexes, led to the conclusion 

 that the sex of cotton-wood trees can not be determined by any sec- 

 ondary characters. 



18493— No. 5— Oo M 2 



