114 ■^^'^' ^''' K-i'f'BY'j OhfervaUom upon certain Fungi 



and (if it may be allowable to apply fuch a term to it) inflamma- 

 tion ;-for, inltead of the pale, pleafant gieeu which is the colour of 

 this grain in a healthy ftate, it afllimes one of a deep and dingey 

 hue ; in this ftate it eafily breaks when rubbed ; and the footy pow- 

 der, that foils the fingers, emits a very fetid fcent, extremely fimilar' 

 to that of putrid filTi or Chenopodium Vulvar ia. Thefe circumflances- 

 fufiiciently diftinguifli it from Relicularia fegetuniy and render it. 

 when at all plentiful, exceedingly prejudicial to the farmer ; for, a-s 

 it does not cat its way through the arillus, and difperfe itfelf before 

 the corn is cut, it is carried with it into the barn, and, being broken 

 under the flail, when the wheat is threflied, difcolours and other- 

 wife injures the fample, to fuch a degree as to render it unlaleable, 

 or at leaft greatly to reduce its price. To prevent this evil, farmers 

 generally drefs their feed wheat with various preparations ; fome ufc 

 a lixivium of wood aflies and urine; others, fait and water only, or fca 

 water if at hand ; others, the lie from the foap-boilers ; others 

 again, urine and cheefe whey ; and I have heard of fome who have 

 infufed arfenic for this purpofc All,. I believe, dry their feed with 

 frefli flaked lime. This cuflom, which is nearly univerfal, at leaft in 

 thefe eaftern counties,, proves the idea to be general, that the difor- 

 der originates from the adhefion of the duft or feed of the Brand to 

 the feed of the wheat, and that by thefe methods it is either wallied 

 off or defl:royed : but what kind of fubftance it is, whether animal, 

 vegetable, or merely a diftemper incident to this grain, agriculturifts 

 do not trouble themfelves much to inquire : this indeed is properly 

 the bufinefs of the naturalift; and of thefe latter the opinions con- ■ 

 ccrning it are various. Mr. Bryant, in the pamphlet referred to 

 above, is ftrenuous for its being occafioned by an injury which he 

 luppofes the antherce receive, by too great conftridion, when the 

 ear emerges from the folium vaginam (J)) ; and therefore he fcouts 



{h) Bryant, p. 50-53. 



the 



