Wt FUNGI. 



fimt produced in the cells of the jilaut, which enable* the spore* to 

 find a nidus, nod then the tiiMMegoMon rapidly, assuming a peculiar 

 type on account of the preaeoo* of the fungiu : in the same way at 

 vegetable organisms found in dtMUM of the skin are not to be looked 

 upon aa the origin of the disease, but aa being developed in textures 

 proviooaly inorl-id, anil aa giving often a peculiar character to the 

 iliaeaae. Many of the duration of cultivated crops are attributed to 

 fungi. The spores of Fungi are very minute, and are constantly 

 floating in the air. Thry can easily be applied to the surfaces of 

 plants. When they find an appropriate soil they send out extensive 

 filiform ramifications, which spread under the epidermis of plant*, 

 raise blister*, and finally burst forth in the form of orange, brown, 

 and black spot*, constituting the fructification. They attack the 

 stem, leaven, flowers, and fruit. Different species are restricted to 

 different plants, and even to different parts of the same plant. The 

 forms which the same fungus assumes seem to vnry sometimes 

 according to the plant ou which it grows. The disease called Bunt, 

 Smut-Halls, or Pepper-Brand, is occasioned by the plant called Vrqdo 

 curie* by Do Candollo, and L'rtdo fcelida by Bauer. It attacks the 

 grains of wheat, and may be detected in them in their earliest state. 

 It consist* of extremely minute globules of a dark colour, at first 

 attached to a thread-like matter or mycelium. Bauer estimates the 

 diameter of each of the globules at l-1600th of an inch, and conse- 

 quently a grain of wheat (reckoned at less than 1-1 000th of a cubic 

 inch) would contain four millions euch spores. The spores, or 

 powdery matter, have a disgusting odour; hence the specific name 

 given to it. The disease is propagated by contact. Steeping the 

 grain is recommended by some as a means of prevention, and alkaline 

 solutions have been suggested as a remedy. Undo linearii, which is 

 met with aim in this disease, is considered as being a young state of 

 the Mildew-plant. Another disease called Smut, or Dust-Brand is 

 caused by a fungus called L'rtdo tegelam. It resembles the Bunt' 

 fungus in colour and shape, but ita spores are not half so large, and 

 it does not possess a fetid odour. This fungus destroys the oar of 

 corn by first causing the innermost parts of the flower to become 

 abortive, while the pedicels on which these are seated swell and 

 become very fleshy. The fungus then consumes the whole of this 

 fleshy mass, and at length appears between the chaff-scales in the 

 form of a blnck soot-like powder. It is said also to attack the stem 

 and leaves. When ripe the spores burst through the epidermis, and 

 are dispersed in the form of a black powder like charcoal. The spore 

 is l-2SOOth of an inch in diameter. Smut is rare in wheat; it is 

 common in barley, and more so in oats. It is also seen in many 

 grasses, such as Arrhenathcrum arniacrmii. The disease denominated 

 Rust, Red Rag, Red Robin, and Red Gum, is caused by a fungus 

 called Undo rvbiyo. It forms yellow and brown oval spots and 

 blotches upon the stem, leaves, and chaff. The spores burst through 

 the epidermis and are dispersed as very minute grains. The disease 

 is common in corn and in grosses. Mildew is a disease caused by a 

 fungus denominated Puccinia graminit. The ripe spore-cases of this 

 plant are small dark brown club-shaped bodies, their thicker end 

 bring divided into two chambers, each filled with minute spores, and 

 their lower end tapering into a fine stalk. The sori, or clusters of 

 spore-cases, burst through the epidermis sometimes in vast numbers. 

 The minute spores seem to enter the plant by the stomata. Some 

 think that they, as well as other minute spores, are absorbed by the 

 root*. The disease attacks wheat Spring wheat is less liable to this 

 disease than winter wheat, and heavy soils are less subject to it than 

 light ones. Many have supposed that the Barberry is in some way 

 connected with the production of Mildew. This idea has been proved 

 to be erroneous by the experiments of Standinger, near Hamburg, 

 and of Hornemann at Copenhagen. Unger entertains the idea 

 that blight, mildew, and smut are to be considered as exanthe- 

 matous diseases of plant* caused by the spores of Funyi entering the 

 itomata, 



" Henslow ha* shown by experiment, that if the diseased seeds of 

 wheat be steeped in a solution of sulphate of copper they will not 

 produce diseased grain, and that the sulphate of copper does no 

 injury to their germination. The solution used is one ounce of 

 sulphate of copper to a gallon of water for every bushel of wheat, 

 drain also steeped in hot water does not reproduce these fungoid 

 dinmrii In Kut Lothian, with the view of preventing smut, seed- 

 wheat is often steeped in stale urine, and afterwards some newly- 

 slaked lime is sifted on it Sometimes a solution of salt is used as a 

 pickle. Fourcroy and Vauquelin ascertained by analysis that blighted 

 wheat contained an acrid oil, putrid gluten, charcoal, phosphoric 

 acid, phosphate of ammonia and magnesia, phosphate of lime, and no 

 trace* of starch. A* regards Bunt or Pmwr-Bnad, Henslow remarks, 

 that upon simply immersing the grain in water the infected seed* 

 float, and on the water being poured out, nothing but the sound 

 one* remain in the vessel. This simple process of separation is not 

 however perfectly effective, because in thrashing the wheat many of 

 the infected grains are crushed, and the spores are dispersed in the form 

 of fine powder which adhere* obstinately to the sound grain, by 

 means of an oily or greasy matter found in tlie I'unyi. In order to 

 detach them thoroughly it ho* been considered useful to add some 

 alkaline Icy to the water in which they are washed. The alkali 

 unite* with the oil and form* a soapy matter. Lime has been used 



FUNGI. oco 



for this purpose, common potash, substances containing ammonia, 

 aud the liquid from stable dung have also been employed ; other 

 matters, as sulphate of copper, act by destroying the vegetating 

 powers of the I-ugi. 



" Mr. Ellis, of Earning, Kent, says that the invariable prevent i-m 

 of si. mt in wheat is accomplished by scalding the blackest wheat in 

 boiling water, and afterwards dying it with lime. The wheat ; 

 in a colander or in a basket is immersed in boiling water for a few 

 seconds, just long enough to wet it completely, it is then imme- 

 diately dipped in cold water, afterwards dried with lime, mixed with 

 other wheat, and sown. By this means the wheat was always found 

 to be cured of smut, while the vegetating principle was unit 

 great care being taken that the water was boiling, and the wheat. 

 taken out of the water as soon as completely wetted. Mr. Kllis 

 tried an experiment on a bushel of the blackest wheat he could 

 procure, which he divided into sixteen equal parts, sowing them all 

 the same day, bnt with different treatment The result at I-.. 

 was that the wheat sown without preparation produced 33 black 

 care out of every 100, while that dipped in boiling water aud 

 limed had not a black ear in several thousands which were examined. 

 Many other species of Undo as well as f'ftUayo give rise to diseases. 

 They receive their names from the plants on which they are parasitic, 

 and it seems probable that the some species presents various forms 

 according to the situation in which it grows. Uttilayo Maydit, a 

 maize smut, is a fungus which gives rise to protuberances on different 

 parts of the maize. The stem, upper leaves, and especially the 

 bracts become immensely swollen when attacked by this disease, and 

 the ovaries, ovules, and male blossoms are not exempt. The 

 affected are at first white tinged with red, smooth, and juicy. The 

 cellular tissue increases in volume, and is permeated by radiating 

 hues consisting of mycelium and spores. The spores are twice a* 

 large in linear measure as those of the oat smut At first the small 

 balls contain a dark strong-smelling fluid, but ultimately the mane* 

 become dry, and present a quantity of dark dust mixed with irregular 

 threads. Uflilayo rittata causes disease in grasses in India. The 

 spores of Uttilayo hypodytet also cause disease in grasses. The spores 

 are black and round, aud the disease they occasion is denominated 

 grass-smut. The plant is described by Tulosue. According to 

 Leveilld, the immense quantity of black dust resulting from it in 

 the hay-fields of France produces injurious effects on the haymakers. 

 A species of Dcpazta or Seploria sometimes produces disease in the 

 knots of wheat Various species of Eryei),he, such as E. ; , 

 E. penicillata, E. graminit, . adunca, and . bicornit give rise to 

 kinds of mildew. Erysiphcs are often met with in common pea crops. 

 Some say that Oidiums are merely particular states of Erysiphei. 

 The plant producing mildew in the vine is Oidium Tutkari of 

 Berkeley. Other species of Oidium probably cause mildew in the 

 peach, rose, hop, pea, and onion. For destroying the mildew in 

 vines sulphur is recommended to be dusted on them. Some also use 

 a solution of hydro-sulphate of lime, mode by boiling sulphur and 

 lime in water. A fungus called Rltizoctoma Mali is said to grow on 

 the roots of apples, pears, and quinces, and to cause destruction to 

 the trees. Ergot is a monstrous state of the grain in which the 

 enlarged and diseased ovary protrudes in a curved form resembling 

 a cock's spur, hence the name from the French ' ergot,' incai 

 spur. The ovary is black externally, spongy internally, and coi 

 much oily matter. Some consider it as produced by the attack of a 

 fungus, which induces a diseased condition in the ovarian cells. The 

 disease is usually met with in rye, and the name of spurred rye 

 is applied to it It sometimes occurs ill wheat and in barley, and 

 it bos also been noticed in Lolium pennne, L. arrente, 1' 

 pratenitt, P/Ucttm pratente, Dactylit ylomerata, Anihojcaiilhum vitui-a- 

 turn, Phalant arundinacea, and Alopecurut ayr.stit. Ergot consists 

 of a very dense tissue formed by polygonal cells, united intimately 

 with one another, and filled with an oily fluid. It is developed in 

 the uuimpregnated ovule of rye, for although extremely dilated by 

 the cntophytc aud rendered difficult of recognition, the integuments 

 of the ovule increase without completely losing the form which they 

 would have assumed, if they had grown into a true grain, imitating 

 in this respect the ovaries of wheat, in which Tillclin Cariet (limit ) 

 has replaced the seed. The solid mass which has been called > 

 Hum clarut by Do Caudulle, and the filamentous portion called 

 fyAacc/i'a by Leveilld and Fde, and r/fntntiu by c; only 



properly speaking organs of vegetation. The fungus defined to 

 grow from this apparatus is an elegant Sjiharia, probably that 

 called by Fries Cordylicepi purpurea. This plant has been seen l.y 

 Schumacher in diseased cereal grains, and it has been detect. . I l.y 

 Roussel in Sclerutium clarut, growing ou Jiromui tylraticia and A 

 calamayroilit, and by Dumeril in Ergot of Rye. Tulasne has shown 

 that this t'ordylicep* is produced from the Ergot when it i allowed to 

 vegetate. Ergot of Grasses and Ergot of Vyperacea, according to 

 Tulasne, do not belong to the same vegetable species. Rye affected 

 with this disease, when used aa bread, is very prejudicial. The Abbe* 

 Tessier showed that Ergot caused gangrene in animals that fed .m it, 

 and many instances are recorded of gangrene ,,| i! extremities 

 occurring in persons who had lived on diseased rye. Ergot is said 

 to prevail in rye grown on wet and stiff land. 



" The disease which bos recently attacked the 1'otato in various parts 



