SMWT IN WHEAT. 1 15 



by the help of a common magnifier, I could readily d if- The unprepared 

 tinguiQi trom one, to three or four black fpecks in each, u,jheait^hy^pro- 

 When rul)bed between the fingers, a faint fmell of fmiit was duft. 

 emitled. The ears which were examined, and had this ap- 

 pearance were marked, and afterwards proved to be Imut. 

 When the crops came out in ear, it was eafy to diflinguifli Smut eafily 

 t'.e fniut from the wheat. At the time of blowing no bloflTom '^'^^'"S^i e • 

 whatever appeared on the fmut ears, and tlie weather proving 

 tempeftuous at that time, the blotfom wd^ frequently waflied 

 off the wheat ears by heavy (bowers, and as often renewed. 



Both pieces were cut at the ufual time, and upon a careful The prepared 



examination, that zihitli had been fuhjecltd to no prcparationf"^ P/'^"'^'^ , 



. , , . jound grain, ana, 

 amfijied of nearli/ tivo-ihirds of fmut ears, the nrinainder being fir,e ur:preparcd 



tolerably good ivheat. Jn that which had been prepared, not «/«rf/««'0'j:''«'»» 



fingle fmut' bail could be found. 



An accidental occurrence may be mentioned in corrobora- An accidental 

 tion of this experiment. Happening to pals through a hn^ll ^^^lj^j^yjj.g„. 

 field of wheat juft before the commencement of the harveft, fined to a part of 

 I was f.ruck with the unufual quantity of fmut in one P^""^ u j k'.^r 'w 

 of it.^|j^n clofe examination, I found that this extraordinary with unprepared 

 crop of fmut ended abrupiiy in a line along one of the furrows, ^^'^'^' 

 The other p^ts of ihe ficid had much the fame appearance of 

 others in the neighbuurhood ; a few fmut ears fcattered 

 through it. Upon enquiry I found, that the feed with which 

 this field had been (own, running (liort, the piece fo abundant 

 in (mut had b<^en fown in ("eed which contained a confiderable 

 quantity of Imut, and had undergone no preparation, only 

 fprinkling it with a little fiaked lime immediately before 

 fowing. 



The difeafe of fmut is entirely confined to the grain. The Smut affedls 

 flraw and every oiher part of the plant is found, and arrives ^'^*'" ^^ 

 at the natural fize. Smut ears are Jlaring, and of a dirty Defcription of 

 whitidi colour, inclining to blue, at the time when healthy - """ * 

 ears are of a bright yellow. Their odour is tioetid, and not 

 inaptly compared to that of fiale lobfiers. Part of an ear is 

 not unfrequently found to contain fmut, while the other parts 

 are filled with (bund wheat. 



Difeafed grains have more the globular form than thole of 

 found wheat, which is perhaps the reafon why they are called 

 fmut-balls. The Ikin is flirivelled and of a dirty brownifli 



hue 



