60 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. [March, 



ture. This is supposed by many to be on the wheat a parasiti- 

 cal plant or species of fungns. After this disease attacks the 

 wheat, the leaf presently turns black ; the health of the plant 

 is ruined, and the grain is shrivelled and Avorthless. This dis- 

 ease seems to be wholly atmospherical, or developed by the 

 state of the air. It is produced by, or rather seems to follow 

 excessive moisture or heavy dews, which collect and remain 

 on the plant. It is most likely to occur to wheat growing in 

 confined places, where the air has not a free circulation. The 

 only remedy which has come within my knowledge, has been 

 the sweeping of the field with a rope in the morning, when it 

 is wet, and thus brushing off the wetness. This method is 

 not unknown abroad ; and is stated in my first report to have 

 been successfully practised by a careful farmer in Essex Coun- 

 ty. By these means he has saved his wheat, when that of his 

 neighbor was destroyed. Undoubtedly the best preventive, 

 which could be adopted against this injury, would be the sow- 

 ing of wheat in high situations where it might have the advan- 

 tages of a free circulation of air. 



Smut. — Another disease to which wheat is subject is smut. 

 This is of two kinds. I shall enter into no minute examina- 

 tion of its character ; nor into the conflicting opinions of many 

 profound scientific observers as to its true nature. This the 

 most critical observations have not yet fully determined. I 

 shall deal only with its obvious and familiar appearances, and 

 with remedies which experiment has found effectual. 



The first kind of smut is often seen soon after the wheat 

 has begun to form its grain in single heads scattered over the 

 field. This gives no alarm to an experienced farmer. He re- 

 gards it rather as an indication of the luxuriance of his croj). 

 The heads of the affected plants soon entirely disappear, and 

 leave nothing but the naked culm. It is seldom that a field is 

 so extensively affected in this way, as in any considerable mea- 

 sure to diminish the crop. 



The second kind of smut infects the ear with a black dust, and 

 spreads itself throughout the field. The grain is not destroyed 



