3% 



SM U 



SIVI u 



by some accident, the intention of 

 nature was prevented. I ?u[)pose, 

 by beinji; detained too long in the 

 hose, and by the natural humidity 

 of the plant, a fermentation was 

 promoted in its ear, destroying the 

 small vessels through which the 

 corns were to receive nourish- 

 ment; by which means their con- 

 tents became black, dry, and dusty. 

 These ears growing up with the 

 others, imbibe moisture sufficient 

 to cause the dusty particles in the 

 grains in them to expand, and burst 

 the fine skin which contained 

 them : Being thus set at liberty, 

 the air, if it happen to be a dry 

 season, dries them again ; by which 

 mearis they become light enough 

 to float therein, when separated 

 from the skin which held them. 

 If this happens when the wheat is 

 in the blossom, which it often does, 

 part of the dust enters the stigma 

 of healthy corns, and thereby in- 

 fects them : The pulp in those be- 

 coming black, a fermentation is 

 raised therein, which destroys the 

 life of the grain thus impregnated. 

 Hence the disagreeable smell is 

 acquired peculiar to this disease 

 (the smeil in a grain of snuit being 

 the same as in a black blighted 

 ear.") 



By the black blight, this author 

 seems to mean the same as burnt 

 grain, burnt ear, or ustilago, in 

 which distemper the kernels do not 

 burst, but are converted to a dry 

 black powder. If his hypothesis 

 be just, as it is certainly plausible, 

 it will follow, that there is no more 

 difference between smutty and 

 burnt grain, than between a closed 

 and an open kernel of wheat : And 



that they are in fact the very same 

 distemper, as indeed many writers 

 have considered them, making no 

 distinction. The antidotes for the 

 one, are certainly proper for the 

 other. For experience has shown 

 in many instances that what pre- 

 vents the one prevents the other. 



The remedy this writer pre- 

 scribes, appears to be a probable 

 one. " When the corn is shot into 

 spindle, and the ears begin to ap- 

 pear, let some persons go along 

 each furrow in the field, and care- 

 fully break ofFall ears of the black 

 kind ; and when broken off, put 

 them into a bag, and carry them 

 away. As it is possible there may 

 be some of these diseased ears 

 which are not bursten, and there- 

 fore may escape being gathered, 

 these may be known by the stalk 

 at the neck being crooked back- 

 ward and forward five or six betjds, 

 and the hose nearer to the head of 

 such, than in the ears which are 

 good." 



Another writer in the Museum 

 Rusticum, says, " 1 have for many 

 years past escaped having smutty 

 crops, by a proper care of the seed 

 wheat before it is put into the 

 ground ; and the method 1 pursue, 

 though efficacious, is in itself sim- 

 ple and cheap. 1 take four bush- 

 els of pigeons' dung, which 1 put 

 into a large tub : On this I pour a 

 sufficient quantity of boiling water, 

 and mixing them well together, let 

 them stand six hours, until a kind 

 of a strong ley is made, which, at 

 the end of that time, the grosser 

 parts being subsided, I cause to be 

 carefiilly drained off, and put into 

 a large keeve, or tub, for use. 



