ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF DISEASES OF PLANTS. 85 



32,165,473 d.c. at 16 marks, of which 10,325,124 d.c. 

 or £8,138,023 falls to be deducted on account of rust. 

 Thus on the crops wheat, rye, and oats, the loss reached the 

 sum of £20,628,147 sterling, or almost a third of the total 

 value of the crops. The year 1891 was a very unfavourable 

 one, but even taking the estimate at the haK of the above 

 sum we have a yearly loss by rust amounting to £10,000,000 

 sterling. 



In Australia the loss in the wheat harvest of 1890-91, on 

 account of rust, has been estimated at £2,500,000 sterling. 



Consideration of the loss of sums of money like these, wliich 

 might be considerably reduced if energetic and universal measures 

 were employed against fungoid plant-diseases, will serve to em- 

 phasize tlie importance of remedial measures. It must also be 

 borne in mind that the use of diseased fodder,^ especially hay, 

 grass or grain, infested by rust or smut-fungi, is productive of 

 serious results to the various animals of the farm ; while the 

 use of meal or flour contaminated with smuts, stinking-smuts, or 

 ergot is dangerous for mankind. 



' Frbhner, Lehrhuch. d. Toxikologie f. Thierarzte, 1890. 



