1851. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



45 



discovered that the leaves of this bush furnished sup- 

 port to a uredo called cecidium, as shown in fig. 10. 



, •-;■■ ■■•■■■ ■■/■:M mf 



Fig. 10. 



On the left is seen a piece of the leaf of the berberry, 

 with the spots of tne cecidium upon it. On the right 

 is one of these receptacles, containing spores, magni- 

 fied, to show the form of this fungus. The mycelium 

 on which it grows is also visible. Geraniums and 

 rose bushes are quite subject to this uredo. There 

 is really as little mystery how parasite jjlants sub- 

 "■ sist, as there is how aphides, (plant lice,) or lice on 

 41 a calf's back, live. Destroy the vitality in the seeds 

 ■^ of smut on wheat, and they will no more grow than 



a dead horse can run a 

 race with a living- one. 

 We have seen the germs 

 in seed wheat killed by 

 soaking the grain too 

 long in brine, copperas 

 water, and a solution of 

 blue vitriol, to destroy 

 smut. We speak from 

 experience and careful 

 experiments, when we 

 say that no farmer can 

 safely steep his seed 

 wheat in strong brine 

 over four or five hours, 

 without having the grain 

 take up too much salt 

 for tlie healthy growth 

 of the young plants. — 

 The seed should be dried 

 in slaked lime. It is far 

 '?('/'L>^2?^ better to sow salt on the 

 land, and let it be large- 

 ly diluted before it comes 

 in contact with the ten- 

 der germs of wheat. 



The next fungus we 

 shall describe, is closely 

 allied to uredo, and callf**^ 

 uslilago. It is mainly 

 confined to grasses, and 

 properly speaking, is a 

 grass-smut. In a very 

 young stage, the struc- 

 ture is thread-like, but 

 all traces of the myceli- 

 um soon disappear, and 

 nothing remains but a 

 mass of minute spores. 

 (See fig. 11.) 



In France, this fungus 

 is so abundant as to in- 

 jure cattle that feed on 

 According to Leville, the im 



Fig. 11 

 hay thus affected. 



mense quantity of black dust arising from this smut, 



produces serious maladies in hay-makers, causing 

 swelling in the head and face, violent pains, and 

 great irritation over the whole system. The poison- 

 ous and medicinal effects of the ergot fungus, (e?-jg-o- 

 tetia abortifaciens,) is well known. 



English grasses are subject to another ustilago, 

 called typJwides, which attacks their stems, and ren- 

 ders the hay nearly worthless. 



Jigaries are a class of fungi of which mushrooms 

 are -types. Fairy-rings throw out their spawn in a 

 circular direction, and the ground is continually ex- 

 hausted by the spreading of the plants from a com- 

 mon center. 



In some countries, grasses and grain, particularly 

 winter barley and rye, are destroyed by a curious mold 

 which is developed beneath the snow ; and if it 

 makes its appearance in snow without a previous 

 frost, it is often fatal to the whole crop. Although 

 this mold has not yet appeared in Great Britain, we 

 are inclined to believe that there is a variety of mold 

 in this country, which will grow on wheat and grass 

 under snow, with great luxuriance. 



The parasitic fungi that attack leguminous plants, 

 (peas, beans, and the like,) are either mildew (erysi- 

 phe) or diapazea. The word erysiplic is the Greek 

 for mildew. This blight on peas infests the fruit of 

 grapes, peach leaves, and in its early stage is a 

 jointed mold, seemingly quite superficial. On close 

 examination, it shows little globules that change 

 from yellow to black, and spring from a flocose web 

 filled with minute sacs containing the sporules. (See 

 fig. 12.) These globules, and the sacs containing 



Fig. 12. 



spores, or sporules, are here depicted -, and a good 

 idea may be had of this fungus by inspecting the 

 drawing. They put out fibres, which lift them up 

 from the surface of the leaf, and are preceded by 

 threads, white or grayish, consisting of bead-like 

 joints, of which it seems that the uppermost fall off 

 and grow. Beans are also injured by a uredo. — 

 T<^'-'^m the use of flowers of sulphur, mildew has been 

 destroyed on peach leaves and grapes ; but on field 

 crops of peat^, no remedy has been found, except clean 

 culture, and seeding with oats to keep the vines from 

 falling upon the ground. 



Giving Medicine to Ruminants. — All medicines 

 given to ruminants, or cud-chewing animals, of a 

 nauseous nature, should be given in a fluid form, and 

 poured slowly and gently down the throat, holding 

 the animal's head no higher than is necessary to pre- 

 vent the liquid from running out of the mouth, and 

 leaving the tongue free, that the animal may have 

 command of its swallow. Medicines given in a solid 

 form will go into the paunch, and if nauseous, they 

 will give a distaste to the contents of the stomach, and 

 prevent rumination, which is attended with danger. 



1 



