DISEASES. 151 



1894, comments on the sudden death of cattle 

 in Illinois and says that farmers .attribute it to 

 the stock eating smutted corn. Prof. Morrow, 

 so the dispatch says, thinks not, as they had 

 fed a. steer two bushels of smut at the Univer- 

 sity of Illinois and it had not injured him. 



It is very questionable if cattle are injured 

 by smut in the fodder; yet it will be safer and 

 better to keep it out of the rations. 



Preventing smut.— There is no absolutely 

 sure method of preventing the appearance of 

 smut. The spores on seed corn may be de- 

 stroyed by the use of sulphate of copper (blue 

 vitriol or bluestone). A strong solution in 

 water should be made, using about half a 

 pound of the sulphate to a gallon of water. 

 The seed may be soaked about half an hour, 

 after which it should be removed from the 

 liquid and dried. The smut may also be killed 

 by soaking the seed in water at 160 deg. F. for 

 five minutes. 



It is also important to adopt preventive meas- 

 ures. The spores will pass through animals in 

 the manure and germinate, so that is a reason 

 why stock should not eat it. The smut in the 

 field which can be secured should be burned. 

 Rotation of crops will also reduce the degree 

 of prevalence. 



Bacterial disease.— This is a disease calised 

 by a very minute class of plants termed bac- 



