582 INSECTS AFFECTING VEGETATION 



once the grain must be dried before storing. Plant a little more 

 seed after this treatment than would be used with untreated grain. 

 Loose smut alone is more successfully controlled by the following 

 seed treatment: Soak in cold water for 5 hours. Then soak in 

 water at a temperature of 125 degrees F. for 15 minutes. (Gal. E. 

 S. B. 218.) 



BLUE-GRASS. 



Anthracnose. This shows as black spots on the stems and basal 

 sheaths, and will evidently survive on this pasture grass. The in- 

 jury is greater upon wheat, rye, oats and clover, under which illus- 

 trations are given, than upon blue-grass. 



Bacterial Blight of Head. In this case the bacteria appears 

 to enter the upper sheath and cause a lesion above the upper joint. 

 This ends in the death and the drying up of the heads. 



Powdery Mildew. The foliage of the blue-grass is attacked by 

 the conidial stage of the wheat mildew (Erynphe graminis) . This 

 fungus gives little evidence of injury, though its presence is cer- 

 tainly not beneficial and the perithecia of the parasite are not com- 

 mon on this host. 



Rijist. Blue-grass is likewise attacked by a rust (Puccinia gram- 

 inis) which is general on grasses. 



Smuts* A smut fungus (Ustilago striae formis) attacks the 

 blades of blue-grass though it is possibly not often very injurious. 

 (Ohio E. S. B. 214.) 



MILLET. 



Leaf-Spot. Leaves of millet, dying from small, light-colored 

 spots, were recently examined. These spots are due to a fungus 

 (Piricularia grisea) and the dying may at times be enough to short- 

 en the yield of forage. 



Smut. The seeds of millet are often attacked by the millet 

 smut fungus (Ustilago Crameri) which transforms them into black 

 masses of smut spores, much after the manner of stinking smut in 

 wheat. This is liable to injure the feeding value of the millet, al- 

 though it is not likely that the smut will injure stock when millet 

 is fed in the usual quantities. All smutted grain, of course, is in- 

 effective and useless, and the smutted seed when again sown will 

 produce a smutted crop. The smut is prevented by the same hot 

 water seed treatment as that applied to prevent oat smut. In ex- 

 periments conducted by the botanist of this station this treatment 

 was successful. (Ohio E. S. B. 214.) 



RYE. 



Rye Anthracnose. This new disease was very serious upon rye 

 in 1908 and was surely prevalent in 1907. The spores are carried 

 by adhering to the seed grain and can be discovered in centrifuge 

 separations of grain washings. In rye fields the anthracnose attacks 

 both the heads and the lower portions of the culms. The localized 

 attack upon the head (rachis) kills all that portion of the spike 

 above the point of attack and the grain is but partly developed. 

 Upon the bases of the stems, including the roots, the fungus develops 

 its dark masses often closely packed together and dotting both stem 



