Flag Smut of Wheat. 



253 



According to Mc Alpine, in South Australia it does as mucli 

 damage as rust, and in Victoria and New South Wales it is not 

 uncommon for half the wheat crop to be lost through it. In South 

 Africa during the last two or three years wheat farmers at Zeerust. 

 in the Marico District of the Ttansvaal, have been considerably alarmed 

 at the loss in their wheat crops sustained through the ravages of this 

 smut. While the total loss up to now may not be considered very 

 great in that district, yet in some wheat-fields lately visited almost 

 half the crop was found to be affected. 



Eig. 1 is a photograph of the yield of an average square yard of 

 a badly diseased wheat-field near Zeerust; No. 1 shows the partially 

 diseased stools, the diseased stalks on the left, and the stalks which 

 have formed ears on the right; No. II shows the totally diseased stools, 



Fui. 2. 



and No. Ill those whicli had formed normal ears, and on which no 

 indications oT the disease were visible. The actual numbers of 

 diseased and of healthy stools in the product of this square yard was 

 counted, and was as follows : — 



Healthy stools 33 



Ears produced by the above 85 



Diseased stools 20 



Partially diseased stools T 



Healthy ears produced by the above 9 



Diseased stalks 10 



Thus the actual percentage of stools showing disease, as compared 

 io llie number of healthy stools in this field, would be 45 per cent. 

 10 



