SPOEULES. 77 



the spores do certainly propagate the fungus. 

 Some writers have called these kinds of fungi 

 growing in the interior of plants entophyta, or 

 plants within livmg substances, as entozoa is 

 made to designate animals living within them. 

 Fries says, these entophyta never grow in living 

 animals, but this is clearly a mistake, as several 

 kinds of moulds have been found in various 

 parts of them. The vrhole subject is one of 

 the most curious that can be conceived. 



To return to the bunt ; we may observe as be- 

 fore, that of the multitude of its sporii]es or fine 

 contents no adequate conception can be formed. 

 One grain of wheat is capable of containing four 

 millions of spores ; it is therefore beyond all 

 calculation what quantity of sporules these may 

 send forth. Care of the seed is the only way 

 to prevent the encroachments of this pest, 

 which will otherwise appear in almost every 

 field of wheat. The way in which this hap- 

 pens, is by most writers on the subject, con- 

 sidered to be tha* when the grain is threshed, 

 or from other causes, the bunted seeds are 

 ruptured, and the cloud of sporules thenescapes. 

 They are of a greasy, oily nature, and conse- 

 quently adhere to the skin of the sound grains. 

 It is quite certain that the disease may be at 



