518 



THE SMALL GRAINS 



FIG. 160. Sound spike (a) of common 

 barley, and spike (6) affected with cov- 

 ered smut. 



The damage from 

 oat smut in Wiscon- 

 sin was estimated to 

 be four and one half 

 million dollars annu- 

 ally. It is stated 

 that in Ohio 6 per 

 cent of the oat crop 

 has been damaged 

 by smut. All this 

 loss can be pre- 

 vented, and is being 

 avoided more than 

 formerly. 



561. Covered smut 

 of oats ( Ustilago 

 levis, Magn.). In 

 addition to the dis- 

 ease known as the 

 loose or naked smut 

 of oats, this cereal is 

 more or less subject 

 to epidemics of what 

 is commonly known 

 as the covered smut 

 of oats caused by 

 another species of 

 the same genus. In 

 recent years it has 

 been observed that 

 this type of oat smut 

 is far more common 

 and widespread than 



