GLASSES OP IOWA. 233 



reported in this state on com, and the following account has been 

 taken from Hitchcick and Nor'on, who have especially studied 

 the disease. "It appears in tassels and ears as a rather hard, 

 compact mass of smut, of a rough granular appearance. It dees 

 not have the large soft swellings that Vstilago maydis has bu 

 at first the ovate pointed mass of smut is inclosed in a white 

 membrane as is the case with Ustlago maydis, but this soon dis- 

 appears. On older smutted places, the large fibro-vascular 

 bundles of the corn gives the smut mass a coarse, stringy 

 appearance. The smut is usually seen best in the tassel or 

 upper part of the plant, the whole upper portion often being 

 converted into a smutty mass just above the ear. When it 

 attacks the ears, the husk usually conceals it until late in the 

 season. The smu'j usually attacks all the ears, rudimentary 

 ears or shoots on the stalk, converting them into masses of 

 smut but not enlarging them. Often the tassel may not be 

 smutted but usually is. Sometimes when the smut is not very 

 bad on the stalk the flowers are curiously deformed. The ears 

 are almost always attacked and often a cluster of ears is borne 

 where there is normally but one. Often instead of producing 

 flowers, and not actually smutted, the floral organs grow into 

 long projections " 



Microscopic characters. — The characteristic spores are larger 

 than corn smut, being from 7" to 15" in diameter and nearly 

 smooth. The outer wall of the spores is provided with very 

 fine spines. Spores germinate readily in water, by producing 

 a rather long, divided and frequently branched promycelium. 

 Secondary sporidia are also produced. Brefeld observed that 

 these spores retained their vitality for eight years at least 

 when placed in nutrient solution they germinated. 



In addition to its occurrence on maize, sorghum is a frequent 

 host. It was found on sorghum in Kansas in 1890 by Keller- 

 man.* It has also been found in this state, in Jones county, by 

 Mr. Reed. It presents the same general characters on sor- 

 ghum as on maize. 



KERNEL SMUT OF CORN. 



This smut {Ustilago Fischeri, Pass.), was described by the 

 same Italian botanist, Passerini.f This afi'ects the kernels, 



*Proc. Kas. Acad. Sci. 1893: 153. BuU. Kas. Agrl. Exp. Sta. 23. 

 tDl una nuova specie di carbone nel granturco. Estratto Boll, del comlzio agra 

 Parma. Novembre, 1877. 4. Just. Rot. Jahresb. 1877: 123. 



