nOW TO GROW GOOD CORN. 183 



thousands of eel-like creatures will be seen writhing 

 in the fluid. 



The differences of these two affections of wheat 

 may be expressed as follows : — 



Bunt. Ear-cockle. 



Grain smooth externally, some- Grain cockled and irregular in 



times appearing black from black- shape, purple externally, skin 



ened interior grains showing thickened, interior of the grains 



through the thin epidermis (bran), stuffed with a white cottony 



These corns easily crush beneath substance, not compressible by 



the finger, emitting the black the finger ; but being opened, and 



fungi. the interior magnified, exhibits 



the living wheat-eels. 



As regards the ear-cockle, we incline to the belief 

 that a damp atmosphere and cold soil are chiefly 

 concerned in its spread, if not in its production. As 

 we have shown the difference between it and bunt, we 

 now proceed to offer a few remarks upon the produc- 

 tion of the latter, and its remedies. 



Bunt is mainly produced by defective seed. It 

 occurs on all kinds of soils — sands, clays, and lime- 

 stones — and is not peculiar to any climate. Professor 

 Henslow believes the disease to be wholly propagated 

 by the spores of the fungus adhering to the wheat- 

 seed. He says, " It has been clearly proved that 

 wheat plants may be easily infected, and the disease 

 thus propagated, by simply rubbing the seeds before 

 they are sown with the black powder or spores of the 

 fungus. It is also clearly ascertained that if seeds 

 thus tainted be thoroughly cleansed, the plants raised 

 from them will not be infected;" and he deduces 

 from this a proof in favour of steeping ; for he says, 

 " This fact is now so well established, that the prac- 



