IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 95 



Red color in milk and cream is caused by Bacillus prodigiosus; blue milk 

 by Bacillus cyanogenns; yellow milk is produced by Bacillus synxanlhus 

 cultures of pathogenic genus like Bacillus pyocyaneus. Staphylococcus 

 pyogenes var. aureus aud S. 2)yoge?ies var. citretis were shown, and it 

 was stated that these may sometimes occur in milk and cause injuries. 



CORN SMUT. 



It is the generally accepted opinion among botanists that corn smui ( Ustila- 

 go zea'-mays) enters the tissues of its host during the early stages of corn, 

 shortly after germination. These opinions are based on the careful exper- 

 iments conducted by Dr. Julius Kuehn, i a careful German investigator. 

 Last spring some experiments were started on the College Farm with the 

 view of preventing this troublesome disease. It was expected, of course, 

 that the results at the close of the season would show a decided advantage 

 in the treated corn, but to my surpri.se the results were entirely negative. 



In the meantime a bulletin was received from Prof. Kellerman, 2 in which 

 the results of his experiments with Corn Smut are given in detail. The ex- 

 periments on the College Farm were somewhat more extended than those 

 of Prof. Kellerman. It is not necessary to give details in this connection. 

 The results of some of these experiments are as follows: 



A plat of ground was selected which for several years had been in grass, 

 so that the chances were against any great amount of smut in the soil. 

 Although the weather was somewhat unfavorable a good share of the corn 

 came up, though the stand was considerablj' injured by ground squirrels. 

 First planting. May 7; second planting, June 1. Sample a was treated with 

 hot water: vessel one, 44-46^ centigrade; vessel two, 53-55° centigrade. 

 Time was not kept though it was subjected to this heat for several minutes. 

 The corn of second planting was kept in one vessel subjected to 50-5C^ 

 centigrade. 



No. I— Treated, smutty; 1 ear; .3 staminate ears, 2 staminate 6 



Not treated, smutty; tear; 7 stalks 8 



HOT WATER, 



No. II.— Treated, smutty; 6 stalks G 



Not treated, smutty; 1 leaf; 1 ear; 5 stalks 7 



No. Ill— This corn was planted on soil which had been planted to corn in 1890. 



Hot water treatment. Results of treated and cheek are as follows: 

 Smutted, treated: 2 ears, 4 leaves, 2 staminate ears, 3 staminate. 31 stalks... 42 

 Checks not treated: 3 ears, 3 leaves, 9 staminate ears, 2 staminate. 21 stalks. 38 

 No. IV- Treated with ammonincal carbonate of copper. 



Treated: 2 ears, 2 leaves. 3 staminate ears, 1 staminate, 30 stalks 38 



Check: 10 ears, 1 leaf, 1 staminate, 20 stalks 32 



1. Bot. Zeitung, Vol. XXXII. p. 122. 



2. Bulletin No. 23. Kansas Agricultural E.xperiment Station, August, 1801. Manhat- 

 tan. Kansas. 



