BLIGHTS OF THE WHEAT. 



CHAPTER I. 



Importance of the subject— Prevalent ignorance respecting it, 

 and consequences— Anxiety of the agriculturists for the aid of 

 science— Providential checks to the ravages of the corn-pests 

 — Remarks— The wonders revealed respecting these minute 

 enemies of the wheat, by the microscope— Parasites — Fungi 

 —Their botanical character— Their normal mode of germina- 

 tion and growth — Their various forms— The orders into which 

 they seem capable of being reduced— The names of these or- 

 ders explained— Properties of fut>gi— Their places of growth 

 — Speculations concerning them — Why called the scavehgers 

 of nature — Exceptions— Question as to the conditions of their 

 development— Wonderful instance of an animal being replaced 

 by a fungus— Analogy from this retrograde step in creation-^ 

 Mycelium defined and described— Plan of this volume. 



The preseiTation and purity of the flour of 

 wheat will be universally acknowledged to be 

 matters of the highest importance; but the 

 methods by which these objects may be 

 attained, are much more dependent on an 

 accurate knowledge of certain extremely minute 

 devastators of the growing crops, than has 

 been hitherto generally conceived. Those per- 

 sons whose province it is to cultivate and reap 



