92 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



DISEASES OF WHEAT. 



The most common diseases of wheat are smut ;ind 

 blight. The first is of two kinds ; in one of which 

 the farina of the be-rry or grain is converted into a 

 black powder, and the husk is more or less covered 

 with the same. This kind of smut is oftener found 

 on oats and barley than wheat, though the latter is 

 not exempt. In the other kind of smut the kernel 

 alone is affected ; the envelope rarely breaks until 

 passed through the machine in threshing, and even 

 then frequently does not injure the quality of the 

 wheat, or seriously affect the price. As mentioned 

 before, brine and quicklime are antidotes to smut in 

 any form ; and a preparation of arsenic and potash 

 has also been lately recommended for the same 

 purpose.* 



' [Various experments, or series of them, have been maHe to 

 test ihe efficiency jf the several preparations for seed-wheat, 

 one o, the fullest of which we copy from the Quarterly Journal 

 of Agriculture, to which they were communicated by Mr. Don- 

 aldson, of Leicestershire. 



Experiment No. 1. — Pure wheat sown without any prepara- 

 tion produced 866 sound ears and 2 smutted; in the proportion 

 of 433 sound ears to one of smut. 



Ex. No. 2. — 400 grains of wheat impregnated with smut- 

 powder, and sown without any preparation, produced 210 sound 

 ears and 463 smutted; proportion, one sound ear to two smut- 

 ted. 



Ex. No. 3. — 400 grains impregnated with smut, and washed 

 in chamber-ley and limed, produced 700 sound ears and 60 

 Bmutled ; proportion, IH sound to one smiit. 



Ex. No 4.— 400 grains impregnated with smut, and washed 

 with chamber ley, produced 500 sound ears and 106 smutted ; 

 proportion, five sound to one smutteil. 



Ex. No 5—400 grains impregnated with smut, steeped in 

 arsenic and water and limed, produced 600 sound ears and 41 

 smutted ; proportion, 14 sound to one smutted. 



Ex. No. 6 —400 grains impregnated with smut, and rubbed 

 with dry arsenic, produced 538 sound ears and 146 smutted; 

 proportion, four sound to one smutted. 



Ex. No. 7.— 400 grains impregnated with smut, and steeped 



