Chap. XV. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. ^r 



M. Aimen gives the following, as the figns of its firft appearance : 



1 . The {heaths of the ears of found corn are larger and more 

 fwelled, eipecially towards the middle, than the fame parts are in 

 the diftempered ears. 



2. The diftemper'd ears have a fmell like red herrings. 



3. As foon as the diftemper'd ears begin to fhoot forth, and the 

 beards appear, it is eafy to diflinguilh them from the found ; for 

 their beards are whitifh, whereas the found ones are green. 



He obferved fome ears which were quite fmut in the lower part, 

 whilft the upper part was very little damaged. The diftemper in 

 this ftate does not affeft the ftraw, the external part of the ear, or 

 the ftalk which runs through the middle of the ear. Wheat, 

 oats, barley, fpelt, and feveral kinds of dog's grafs are liable to this 

 diftemper, and rye is not entirely free from it. 



M. Aimen is of opinion, that the fmut is produced by an ulcer 

 which feizes the different parts of the bloffom. He has fpared no 

 pains to difcover the caufe of this ulcer. He is well aflured that it 

 is not caufed either by infers, or by the wetnefs or drynefs of the 

 foil ; nor does it feem to arife from any fault in the juices, feeing 

 that all the reft of the plant is pretty well formed. 



He fowed corn blighted in all degrees, which either did not fpfout 

 at all, or produced ftalks more or lefs vigorous, but all of them free 

 from fmut. He fowed fome mouldy grains, each of which produced 

 fmutty ears. 



M. Aimen thinks he has reafon to believe that grain may become 

 mouldy in the earth. He fowed fome chofen grains, and when they 

 had all fprouted, he took them up, and examined them with a micro- 

 fcope. He found fmall white threads or filaments on fome of them. 

 He planted them again, and thefe plants produced fmutty ears. 

 This experiment was repeated, with the fame fuccefs. 



It is hard to conceive that mouldinefs, or, if you will, a kind of 

 mofs, can produce fmut : for as foon as the grain has fprouted, and 

 the plant is formed, the whole fubftance of the feed corn is ex- 

 haufted. Whether it rots, or not, feems to be of little confequence 

 to the plant, which no longer draws its fubfiftence from the feed. 

 If the plant becomes mouldy, it may either die, or be ftinted : but 

 how this mouldinefs fhould affetfl only the organs of frudification, 

 fo as entirely to deftroy them, without doing any fenfible injury to 

 the reft of the plant, is not ealily accounted for. To iliew that the 

 fad: m'ay be fo, M. Aimen inftances a wild-pink, which, for three 



N 2 years, 



