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The infected plants, however, more frequently head out, although 
usually no grain is produced. Ordinarily only a small proportion 
of the plants in a field is infected and the damage done is not 
particularly serious. Infection takes place in the seedling stage of 
the rye and probably for the most part from spores adhering to 
the grain, although the question as to the part which spores present 
in the soil may play has not been fully determined. 
Loose Smut of Rye and Bunt of Rye—Recently a loose smut 
of rye has been found. It seems to be of rare occurrence. It 
resembles somewhat closely the loose smut of wheat, but the com- 
plete details of its history have not been traced out. 
Bunt of rye appears to be fairly common in the Balkan coun- 
tries of Europe. Recently Tilletia tritici has been transferred to 
rye, and further investigations are necessary in order to determine 
the possible relation between bunt of wheat and rye. 
Bunt of Rice—This disease was first described in Japan and 
has since been found widely distributed in Java, Indo-China, Siam, 
and China. It also occurs throughout the main rice growing 
areas in Burma, and has been found on the east coast of Penin- 
sular India and at Pusa. It has reached the United States and, 
or a time, was established in South Carolina and also in 
Louisiana. In this smut only a few individual grains of the 
head produce spores. It is difficult to detect the diseased grains 
without breaking them, although in some cases the glumes are 
forced apart a little and the black spore mass may be observed. 
The amount of damage caused by this bunt is usually slight, al- 
though in South Carolina it was regarded as a disease of very 
serious importance and successful efforts were made to stamp it 
out in that state. The parasite is closely allied to the smuts which 
cause the bunt of wheat. The life history has not been fully 
worked out, but there is considerable evidence that the fungus 
gains entrance in the seedling stage of the host. 
The Covered Kernel Smut of Sorghum.—The most serious smut 
of sorghum is unquestionably the covered kernel smut. It is found 
wherever sorghums are grown and frequently causes very heavy 
losses. It is not uncommon to find fields showing 20 to 50 per 
cent. of the heads destroyed. The infection of the sorghum plant 
