THE SMUT OF OATS 393 
The Smut of Oats..— The Smut of the Oats is probably the 
most common and destructive one of the Smut group. The 
mycelium of the Oat Smut gets started in the tissues of the Oat 
plant when the latter is in the seedling stage, and at flowering 
Fic. 350.— Loose Smut of Oats. Left, normal head; right, head 
destroyed by Smut. After Bulletin 112, Minnesota Agr. Exp. Sta. 
time it masses in the ovaries, which become swollen and finally 
destroyed and replaced by masses of spores (Fig. 350). A 
1 The following references will be found helpful in understanding the 
smuts and methods of combatting them. 
The Grain Smuts. Farmers’ Bulletin 75, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1898. 
Corn Smut. Annual Report 12, Indiana Agr. Exp. Sta., 1900. 
The prevention of Stinking Smut of Wheat and Loose Smut of Oats. Farm- 
ers’ Bulletin 250, U. 8. Dept. Agriculture, 1906. 
The Smuts of Grain plants. Bulletin 122, Minnesota Agr. Exp. Sta., 1911. 
The Smuts of Wheat, Oats, Barley, and Corn. Farmers’ Bulletin 607, U.S. 
Dept. Agriculture, 1912. 
Bunt or Stinking Smut of Wheat. Bulletin 126, Washington Agr. Exp. Sta., 
1915. 
