1.378. A smut destroying powder, called " Massel 

 powder," is sold by a Belgian firm. This is sprayed on 

 to a growing crop mixed up with lime water. Where the 

 staple cereal is judr it may be worth while trying this 

 powder. It is doubtful if any treatment can be effective 

 after the fungus has once established itself in a crop. Pickling 

 the seed with sulphate of copper solution (i : 200) is the best 

 preventive. 



1.379. Bunt (Tilletia fcetens). Bunt or stinking smut 

 is also caused by a fungus (Tilletia foetens), the life history of 

 which closely resembles that of the smut-fungus (vide Fig 76). 

 The rice plant is affected by it as well as wheat, barley and 

 oats. The grains become abnormally inflated and they emit 

 a putrid odour. The leaves and stems close to grains are 

 also affected by the black spores. Dhaner-gu is the name 

 given to the bunt fungus when it affects grains of paddy. 

 The same fungus affects oats also. 



FIG, 76. SMUT AND BUNT FUNGI. 



[(a) Spore of Ustilago (smut). (6) Spore of Ustilago throwing out pro- 

 mycelium with sporidia. (c) A germinating sporidium of smut, (d) Spore of 

 Tilletia (bunt), (e) Spore of Tilletia thowing out promycelium with sporidia. 

 (/) A germinating sporidium of bunt.] 



1,380. Bunt spores adhering to grains not only give rise 

 to bunt in the next crop when the grains so affected are used 

 as seed, but they are far more injurious to health than spores 

 of ordinary odourless smut. Headache, eruptions on the face, 



