156 THE ROMANCE OF EVERIFARM 



of the stalks were clean and bright, while others were 

 darkened in spots, especially just below the nodes 

 or joints. These dark spots resembled soot from a 

 chimney and could easily be scraped off with the 

 aid of a knife. From these he made cultures which 

 soon developed the pink mold and again in looking 

 through the microscope he found the same crescent- 

 shaped villain which he had found in the com kernel 

 and the spring wheat head. Then he took the de- 

 cayed kernels from the old ears of corn he found in 

 the field, also portions of the darkened spots of the 

 interior of the corn stalks, and having made cultures 

 of these, he developed the same molds as were shown 

 on the kernels in the germinator, carrying the same 

 villainous spores. 



"Well, at last I have established your true line of 

 relation, you renegade, but if you are able to de- 

 stroy some plants, why is it that you have no effect 

 on others? I wonder if it is because you do not hap- 

 pen to come in contact with them, or is it that they 

 are able to resist you? I remember some of the 

 kernels in the germinator were badly infected, while 

 adjoining ones were not affected at all. However, 

 there is one thing lacking in the chain of circum- 

 stantial evidence : How did that feUow secrete him- 

 self on that kernel of corn in the germinator? We 



