08 THEORY, 



weeks before the reaping begins, tbe farmer 

 scarcely sees it during the harvest, and con- 

 sequently thinks but little about it. This is 

 probably the true solution of the prejudice in 

 its favour. 



There is every reason to believe that the 

 fungus enters the plant by means of its spor- 

 ules being so small that they find access with 

 the ascending sap, by the spongioles of the 

 roots. With tlnis sap the sporules circulate, 

 and are developed as has been described. Some 

 difficulty attends this view ; but it will be 

 partly cleared up in the next chapter. There, 

 also, allusion will be made to the remedies 

 which are common to this and the parasite to 

 be next described. 



