150 THE ROMANCE OF EVERIFARM 



other spores from the old husk, which settled on 

 the blooming spikelets of the wheat plants, and 

 fomid lodgment there. Here they proceeded to de- 

 velop and grow and to make ready for the attack 

 which would follow soon. About this time the big 

 prairie chicken rooster dropped down in the wheat 

 field and, in scratching around for worms and bugs, 

 he kicked over the old husk of corn and scattered 

 millions of the newly developed spores, which were 

 caught up by the wind and carried all over the wheat 

 field, finally to come to rest on the young heads of 

 wheat now in full bloom. 



Under the favorable conditions of the weather, the 

 spores grew very rapidly, and the young wheat heads 

 began to develop a pinkish mold that soon enveloped 

 each glume and spikelet. Our strong and healthy 

 wheat plant, which had kept in conversation with 

 its neighbor, noticed the failing strength of the in- 

 fected brother, and as the pink mold developed fur- 

 ther over the wheat head, the conversation finally 

 ceased altogether. The pinkish mold spread in suc- 

 cession from one kernel to another, until all the 

 kernels on this head of wheat were infected. Thus 

 the kernels were soon absorbed by the fungi, and the 

 total destruction of millions of heads of wheat was 

 the result. When the owner of the big field again 



