102 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



sheep husbandry would more than compensate all losses 

 from the rust. 



" The Jewish prophets regarded the blasting and mildew 

 as a punishment for the sins of the people. When a peo - 

 pie by rebellion, under such high condition of prosperity 

 as exhibited by the census of 1860, seeks its own and the 

 destruction of others, and the overthrow of the best govern- 

 ment the world has seen, blasting and mildew of the wheat 

 crop will not stay their impious hands. But, regarding the 

 remedy for rust, through the microscope, we find that it 

 is not in all stages of the growth of the plant that the 

 straw is liable to split under heavy dews and a hot sun. 

 It is not in its growing state, but in its ripening stage only, 

 that this result is produced. Hence, whatever rapidly 

 shortens the ripening stage lessens the danger. For this 

 purpose there is nothing equal to stable manure, the pre- 

 cise effects of which on the soil and on the wheat crop will 

 be stated under the head of manures. Another remedy is 

 in immediate harvesting when the crop is affected by the 

 rust. The following instructive experiments on this point 

 I find in Mr. Klippart's essay on wheat. Mr. George D. 

 Hendricks, of Preble County, Ohio, writes Mr. Klippart as 

 follows: 'In 1842 I had a large field seriously affected 

 by rust, and, having read in the Genesee Farmer the ne- 

 cessity of early cutting, I put a hand cradle to work and 

 left ; was absent a few days, and, on my return, found my 

 hand had only cut a few dozen of sheaves, avowing that it 

 was so green that he knew it would be worthless. I then 

 procured hands and had the field cut, but too late for more 

 than half a crop, whilst the portion cut at first was plump, 

 and had well-filled grains.' " 



The 'rust,' 'red-ray,' 'red-gum' or 'red- robin' for by 

 all these names is it known, although the first is the most 

 general is the result of the attacks of a fungus known 

 as the uredo rubigo. It forms yellow or orange-coloured 

 blotches or powder spots upon the stem, the leaves, and 

 the chaff; and so common is it sometimes that a whole 

 field of wheat will have quite a red tinge given to it. The 



