CHAPTER XXV. 



THE POSSIBLE CONNECTION OF THE FUNGUS OF CORN 

 MILDEW AND THE FUNGUS OF BARBERRY BLIGHT. 



IN the following review of the evidence for and against 

 the connection of the fungi found under the genera 

 Puccinia and jEcidium, it will be understood that the 

 remarks made in reference to the fungus of the summer 

 rust and mildew of corn, with its supposed ^cidium 

 condition on barberry bushes, applies also to the spring 

 rust and mildew and its supposed ^cidium on members 

 of the Borage family. In fact, the following notes apply 

 to every instance where there is a supposed connection 

 between Puccinia and its allied genera on the one hand, 

 with ^Ecidium and its allied genera on the other. 



First we will give a brief account of the popular belief 

 which is said to have existed amongst rustics in old times, 

 then we will give the evidence brought forward by some 

 men of science as supposed proofs of an actual connection 

 of corn mildews with the blights of barberry and borage ; 

 and, lastly, we will state the reasons why other men of 

 science in some instances reject the evidence of the sup- 

 posed connection, and in other cases consider the connec- 

 tion as unproven. As each of these branches of the 

 subject are reviewed we will state how our mind has been 

 impressed by the statements. The readers of this chapter 

 may then form their own opinion as to the value of the 

 facts as well as of the deductions which have been either 

 reasonably or unreasonably drawn from them. 



The first we hear in regard to the connection of corn 



