British Farmer'' s Magazine. 37 



from the roots of hedge-row trees running across it, this will carry more 

 smut than the open parts of the field. In a season when smut prevails, if 

 one field has been sown with seed procured from a distance, or with a new 

 sort, this will be less liable than the surrounding fields. Smutty ears are 

 affected before they issue from the last leaf; because, as soon as they are 

 visible, their imperfect formation shows the presence of the disease ; and, if 

 then examined, the kernel is of a livid green colour, and the milk corrupted 

 and black." [We hope these facts will be duly considered by Mr. Lawson, 

 and we should like to see how he reconciles his theory of" over-luxuriance " 

 with them.] 



The cause of these appearances is involved in mystery ; insects, fungi, 

 and an infectious disease have been assigned, but nothing certain has been 

 determined. The recent idea of Mr. Lawson, that " luxuriance " is a 

 cause, J. M. evidently does not agree with ; but in that spirit of liberality 

 and good feehng, which should always be present in discussions of this 

 sort, he concludes : — " Having stated the circumstances under which 

 smut appears in our fields, and also the various opinions as to its cause, it 

 it unnecessary to combat any particular hypothesis concerning it, not only 

 because much uncertainty exists on the subject, but because the field of 

 investigation should be left free, and invitingly open to every contributor 

 of opinion, and to every effort of practical observation ; for the use of your 

 young readers, however, it may be necessary to add a very short inference, 

 viz. I'hat those who fancy that insects are the cause, or that the attack, 

 whether of these or of a fungus, takes place when the plant is in its middle 

 stage of growth, must see the futility of any preparation of the seed as a 

 preventive ; and, to be consistent, must discard the practice of brining and 

 liming as useless." 



The red gum is not, strictly speaking, a disease, but the attack of an in- 

 sect, probably a minute species of Musca, The eggs are deposited in the 

 ears when in flower, are hatched there into small maggots, which appear 

 environed with a yellowish red unctuous powder, thus preventing the grain 

 from being fully matured. 



The rubigo, rust, mildew, and blight are the same thing. " It is in fact 

 nothing less or more than the attack of a parasitical plant of the mushroom 

 species," under favourable atmospherical circumstances. It is without 

 cure. 



The white blight is a partial failure in corn crops, distinguished by pale- 

 ness in the straw, and diminutive shrivelled grain. It does not appear to 

 be caused by either animals or vegetables, and is without cure. It may 

 be asked, J. M. concludes, if brining and liming are to be continued, 

 with reference to these diseases, seeing it is very doubtful if they are of any 

 use. He answers, " Yes, by all means ; " for though the scientific man and 

 the practitioner may be alike puzzled to give a reason for the practice, yet 

 " something is due to the general sense of agriculturists, especially in a cus- 

 tom of so long standing." 



Description of a Machine for washing Potatoes, by John Lawson, jun. of 

 Elgin. This operation is generally pei'formed by an open cylinder turned 

 round in a cistern of water. Mr. Lawson employs a wooden or iron trough 

 with a movable bottom above the other one, composed of spars three quar- 

 ters of an inch apart. This bottom being in its place, the potatoes are laid 

 over it, water admitted at one end by a cock, the potatoes moved backwards 

 and forwards by a wooden hoe till they are clean, and the dirty water 

 then let off by another cock at the opposite end. The use of the sparred 

 bottom is to allow the sand and earth to fall through them, and be run off 

 with the dirty water. The rest is obvious. 



The Highland Society's Agricultural Show; Messrs. Cormack, Son, and 

 Sinclair, New Cross ; Messrs. Gibbs and Co., Piccadilly ; and Messrs. Peter 

 Lawson and Son, Edinburgh, received honorary medals for collections of 



D 3 



