Cereals 267 



Negligence thus involves a total of more than 100,000,000 

 bushels of grain annually. 



The common corn smut develops upon any part of the 

 corn plant, but is usually most conspicuous upon the ear and 

 tassel. Another smut of corn growing only upon the tassel 

 is less widely known. Rye smut develops mainly in the 

 stem; the smut of oats, wheat, and barley in the ovary, 

 the grain; onion smut grows upon the leaves, often in 

 the bulb. 



It is evident that to know precisely what parts and at 

 what periods the various crop plants are open to infection 

 is of utmost importance in looking to the prevention of the 

 smuts. It was early proved that oats are susceptible to 

 infection only in the early stages of their development. 

 The exact work of Brefeld proved that corn is susceptible to 

 infection on all young, tender, growing parts, and in 1896 

 Maddox, Brefeld, antl others showed that in the case of the 

 loose smut of wheat and the barley smut infection occurs 

 while the plant is in bloom, this infection affecting the seeds 

 and resulting in smutted plants in the crop raised from such 

 infected seeds. 



It is upon these facts that our present modes of preven- 

 tion are based. The treatment for oat smut is such as to 

 kill the spores adhering to the grain and thus prevent in- 

 fection during the period of susceptibility, i. e., the very 

 young seedling condition. The same treatment is effec- 

 tive for the stinking smut of wheat. The loose smut of 

 wheat gaining entrance to the plant before the grain is 

 harvested cannot be prevented by such means without 

 danger to the seed, but can be prevented by the use of clean, 

 uninfected seed. Corn, being susceptible at all ages of its 

 growth, cannot be protected by seed treatment. 



Owing to their great damage and conspicuousness, smuts 

 have attracted attention from very early times, and man}^ 

 references to them are found in ancient writings. Probably 

 not until 1791, however, was their true nature as vegetable 

 parasites recognized. Man}^ were the means that were 



