CN THE BLIGHT IN CORN. 227 



fey thcfe pores, which exift alio on the leaves and glumes, it The feeds of the 



ie prefemed that the feeds of the fungus gain ad million, and fungus e,lter the 



. . . pores, 



at the bottom or the hollows to which they lead, (lee Plate IX. 



Fig. 1, 2,) they germinate and pufh their minute roots, no 

 doubt (though thefe have not yet been traced) into the cellular germinate in 

 texture beyond the bark, where they draw their nourifhment, cellular tex- 

 , . . , , , , , r , ture ' interc ept 



by intercepting the lap that was intended by nature tor the the fap, and ren- 



nutriment of the grain: the corn of courfe becomes fhrivelled ^''.diegiam 



.... . r . fhnveiledby 



in proportion as the fungi are more or lets numerous on the a bftra£tion of 



plant; and as the kernel only is abftracled from the grain, the kernel. 



while the cortical part remains undiminished, the proportion 



of Jhur to bran in blighted corn, is aways reduced in the 



fame degree as the com is made light Some corn of this 



year's crop will not yield a ftone of flour from a fack of wheat; 



and it is not impoffible that in fome cafes the corn has been The flour may- 



fo completely robbed of its flour by the fungus, that if the thu * be almoft 



' . J . totally mter- 



proprietor fhould choofe to incur the expenfe of thrafliing and cepted. 



grinding it, bran would be tlie produce, with fcarce an atom 



of flour for each grain. 



Every fpecies of corn, properly fo called, is fubject to the All com Is liable 



blight; but it is obfervable that ipring corn is lefs damaged 5° ! hs bll S nt » 

 ° re (-> fpnna; corn ] e f 3 



by it than winter, and rye lefs than wheat, probably becaule it than winter, and 

 U ripe and cut down before the fungus has had time to r >^ lels th - 1 ' 1 

 increafe in any large degree. — Tull (ays that " white cone or 

 " bearded wheat, which hath its draw like a rufli full of pith, 

 " is lefs fubject to blight than Lammas wheat, which ripens a 

 " week later." See page 7 k The fpr-ing wheat of Lineolnmire Hiftorical CMs, 

 was not in theleaft fhrivelled this year, though the ftraw was in 

 fome degree infected : the millers allowed that it was the belt 

 fample brought to market. Barley was in fome places con- 

 fiderably (potted, but as the whole of the Item of that grain 

 is naturally enveloped in the hofe or balis of the leaf, the 

 fungus can in no cafe gain admittance to the draw ; it is how- 

 go to the brook and drink, but it can open innumerable orifices for 

 the reception of every degree of moifcure, which either falls in the 

 fhape of rain and of dew, or is feparated from the mafs of water 

 always held in folution by the atmof'phere; it feldom happens in the 

 dried feafon, that the night does not afford fome refrefliment of this 

 kind, to reftore the moifture that has been exhaufted by the heats of 

 the preceding day, 



Q 2 ever 



