Exp ni me lib on the Smut in Wheal . 351 



which, on being broken, are found to contain a black subtile 

 powder, extremely fetid and disagreeable to the smell. I am 

 thus particular in' describing the disease, because most writers 

 on the diseases of wheat have made strange confusion on the 

 subject, having jumbled together smut, mildew, ]>epperbrand ,' 

 in short, all the diseases \o wliich this grain is liable, uudtrr 

 one denomination ; whereas nothing can be more distinct. The 

 smut, brand, or coUibraiul, is perha-ps the most generally 

 known; and is jirodaced, I beheve, entirely by iuteclion,— 

 I mean by tlie breaking of the balls containing the powder, 

 and by th'e rubbing of such powder against sound grains. It 

 is in the power of any man to produce a smutty crop; but, 

 what is of vast importance to know, it is equally in his power 

 to produce a clean crop, even from seed wliich has been pre- 

 viously infected. It is not my intention at present to go into 

 the merits of particular preparations for this purpose ; but the 

 fact is well known to e^■cry ]:)ractical tarmer, that proper care 

 in washing, brining and liming seed wheat will counteract the 

 hifectious (qualities of the smut powder, and will generally en- 

 sure a clean crop. 



The jiepperbrand is a disorder perfectly distinct from the 

 foregoing. When growing, it is distinguishable from healthy 

 ears by the chaff (instead of adhering to the grain closely and 

 regularly) starting nearly at right angles with tlie stem and jire- 

 senting "an unc^•en spiky" appearance ; the intervals between the 

 Jcoshes or outside coating of the grain being open so as to ad- 

 mit a sight of the diseased grain within. This latter is a hard 

 round substance, not unliloe either in shape or colour to a pep- 

 percorn, and having no apparent affinity to a grain of whetit. 

 From experiments wliich I have made, I have no hesitation in 

 saying that this disease is also propagable by infection, or by 

 the contact of the pepper balls with sound wheat. I am also 

 equally certain that careful washing, steeping, and liming will 

 restore the infected grain to lieakh : this will appear the niore 

 extraordinary when the following circumstances are taken into^ 

 consitleratioji. A parcel of hue clean wlicat (consisting of 

 about three pints) was well rubbed by me widi the balls of this 

 same pepperbrand; one half of which was immediately sown 

 in rows in a plot of ground prepared lor the purj'ose. No. 2; 

 the other half. No. 1, was then washed, steeped about half an 

 hour in a solution of green vitriol and water, limed, and sown 

 in rows l)y the side of the former lialf. To my surprise, there 

 was a striking diflerence in the appearance of the plants of 

 each parcel throughout the winter, which diflTcreiicc continued 

 to increase till harvest. The infected, 7'inms/icil parcel was 

 diseased not only in the ears, but the wlujle plant was dislorled, 



and 



