5()() 



Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



Take-all and White-heads in Wheat. 



The full(nvii]g' notes, in addition to the article in the January 

 number, appeared in Bulk^tin No. *.). : — 



'I'HE t'UNiiUS UN liWASSKS. 



in the summary on page 428 it is stated that the native grass or 

 grasses on which the fungus occurs here are not known, but since then 

 it has been found on the s])ear grass, Bromus sterilis, which is an intro- 

 duced weed and widely distributed. On examining some sheaves of take- 

 all wheat sent by Mr. Peters, of Muskerry East, several plants of 

 s])ear grass were found with the base of the stem blackened, and the 



Take-all patcli in crop of Sullivan's Early. 



perithecia or fruit cases of the fungus could be seen by the naked 

 eye. On submitting these to microscopic examination the 

 characteristic spores of the Ophioholus were met with, and the 

 evidence was complete as to this grass being a harbour for the pest. 

 Just as in the case of wheat, the grains in some of the ears were 

 formed, while in others they were empty. 



It is an important point in the life-history of any fungus parasite 

 to know the particular plants on which it grows and can survive from 

 season to season, so that they may be kept down and destroyed as far 

 as possible. The destruction of this weed then will be one of the 

 means of preventing the spread of this fungus, and generally clean 

 cultivation will be found profitable. 



