FUNGOID PESTS OF CULTIVATED PLANTS. 229 



Sacc. Syll. viii. 1822 ; Phil. Br. Disc. p. 241 ; Hart. & Som. Dis. Trees 

 p. 117, figs. 58-60 ; Mass. PI. Dis. p. 145, fig. 30 ; Cooke, Hdbk. No. 2034 

 Marshall Ward, Timbers &c. pp. 227, 34-36. 



PESTS OF FIELD CROPS. 



It will be more convenient, in enumerating the parasites of field crops, 

 to group the cereals, and other graminaceous plants, separately from the 

 cultivated dicotyledonous plants. 



A. CEREALS AND GRASSES. 



The parasites of grasses, especially of the uncultivated, are so numerous 

 that only the most usual or important could be included here. This will 

 scarcely be regretted in a work devoted rather to horticulture than to 

 agriculture, whilst it must be taken into account that the value of many 

 recent species, so called, is enigmatical. 



LOOSE SMUT OF WHEAT. 

 Ustilago Tritici (Jens.), PL XXII. fig. 1. 



Those who retain any knowledge of, or sympathy with, the mycology of 

 a quarter of a century since will not be surprised that we should protest 

 against the wholesale and mostly unnecessary changes of the scientific 

 names, especially the Uredines, which have swept like an epidemic over 

 the past few years. For the present the " faddists " carry the day, through 

 the rage for novelty, but let us hope that the time is not far distant when 

 reason will resume its sway. We are old enough to remember the rise 

 and fall of many such epidemics during the past fifty years, like the 

 fluctuations of such physical epidemics as cholera, plague, and influenza. 



This was once known as Ustilago carbo, and also as Ustilago segetum, 

 but is now converted into several species. In this one the mass of spores 

 is dark olive- brown, soon becoming free and powdery, like soot. Spores 

 ovoid, ellipsoid, and subglobose (5-7 x 5-6^) very minutely warted, and 

 somewhat olive. In germination the promycelium is branched. 



Thus far it has been recorded for Europe and North America. 



A difficult disease to combat, the hot-water method not being effective. 

 Seed should be obtained from a locality free of disease. 



Sacc. Syll. ix. 1163 ; Smith, Field Crops, p. 255 ; Mass. PL Dis. p. 

 218 ; Cooke, M.F. p. 229, figs. 98, 99 ; Cooke, Hdbk. No. 1520 ; Plowr. 

 Brit. Ured. 273. 



STINKING SMUT, OR BUNT. 

 Tilletia Tritici (Wint.), PL XXII. fig. 2. 



This also was once known as Tilletia caries, and is in appearance very 

 like a smut, or Ustilago. It occurs, within the grains of Wheat, and has a 

 fo3tid odour when the grain is crushed, and then the whole interior is 

 filled with a dark olive-brown, almost black, powder. 



