ESSAYS. 23 
It is an old custom of sailors and others to foretell the weather by the direc- 
tion in which the clouds move, and this has a scientific basis, as the clouds move 
in the same direction in which the wind will blow on the surface in a few hours. 
Dr. von Haast informs me that the barometrical observations on the Bealey 
prove, in a like manner aS those made by myself on the Tasman Glacier, that 
barometrical changes set in at the Bealey a few hours ‘‘ before time.” 
II.—TEsts oF DRESSING-MATERIALS FOR WHEAT.—By DoNALD MURRAY.’ 
The influence of thirteen different solutions has been tested on wheat and 
smut spores adhering thereto. The result is contained in the following table : 
y faite. Smut Percentage of 
Solution used. germinating see eae sey 
No. 2 Bluestone, loz. to 2qrts. P2537 10 10 100 
,», 6 IronSulph., 40z. to 2qrts, 50% 9 10 90 
,, 7 Iron Sulph., 60z. to 2qrts. T57, 7 10 70 
,, 9 Calvert’s Carbolic Acid,'No. 5, 
loz. to 2qrts. P207, 10 5 50 
,, 4 Bluestone, 40z. to 2qrts. 50% 4 10 40 
,, 8 Calvert, No. 5, $0z. to 2qrts. 0°6257 10 3 30 
,, 3 Bluestone, 20z. to 2qrts. 25% 2 10 20 
,, 12 Calvert, No. 5, 30z. to 2qrts. 3°75 7, 1 10 10 
, © Iron Sulph., 20z. to 2qrts. 25% 10 0 0 
,, 1 Undressed — 10 0 0 
,, 14 Calvert, No. 5, 80z. to 2qrts. 100% 0 10 0 
,, 13 Calvert, No. 5, 40z. to 2qrts. 50% 0 9 a 
,, 10 Calvert, No. 5, 15 0z. to2qrts. 1°875% 8 0 0 
», 11 Calvert, No. 5, 20z. to 2 qrts. 25%, 2 1 2 
The experiments were carried on with the solutions which were mostly used 
on the college farm. Smutty wheat was dressed in the above solutions by turning 
it over and over whilst the dressing material was poured over it. It was kept 
like this in a damp chamber on damp blotting paper for two days. Then it was 
washed by using the blotting paper as a filter and pouring water over it to imitate 
the natural condition of the wheat in the ground being washed with the water 
that circulates in the soil. The fourteen samples were then again put in the 
damp chamber in the same blotting paper, which, like the soil, retained the 
spores that might have been washed off. 
Five days later every one of the 140 grains was examined under the micros- 
cope. Where the smut spores had not been killed by the dressing every grain of 
wheat was covered by a thick felt of mycelial threads which could be observed 
under the microscope to spring from the smut spores. 
The results contained in the table show that strong Carbolic acid kills the 
wheat, and that weaker Carbolic, Nos. 8 and 9, does not kill the smut spores. 
Very good results, and better results than appear attainable by Carbolic, have 
been arrived at by Copper and Iron Sulphate. Of the Carbolic solutions used, 
No. 9 (50 per cent. of germinating non-smutty wheat) appears the best. 
Of all the selections tested, No. 2, bluestone (CuSO4), 1 oz. to 2 quarts, 
1.25 per cent. appears to be the best dressing material, none of the wheat being 
affected, and all the smut spores killed therewith. The best possible result of 
100 per cent. has been attained with this solution. 
A hundred grains of the samples dressed as above were sown in the open 
to test the germinating power under natural circumstances, with the following 
result :— 
No. 5, FeSO4, 2.5 per cent. “ae me iP 94 
No. 8, Carbolic acid, 0.625 per cent. ha an 94 - 
Wo. 1, Undressed. _::. Ke Bi 2 90 
No. 9, Carbolic Acid, 1.25 per cent. ts re 90 
No. 2, CuSO4, 1.25 per cent. ... sh a 89 
No. 6, FeSO4, 5.0 per cent. As a on 77 
No. 10, Carbolic, 1.875 per cent. ... Mee # io 
No. 7, FeSO4, 7.5 per cent. - ee “ey 66 
No. 3, CuS04, 2.5 per cent. Bere Fr Pi, 58 
No. 11, Carbolic, 2.5 per cent. ... oe cee 47 
No. 4, CuOS4, 5.0 per cent. ek Ve ait 41 
No. 12, Carbolic, 3.75 per cent. ... “as iy 11 
No. 73, Carbolic, 5.0 per cent. ... ze a 0 
No. 14, Carbolic, 10.0 per cent, ... ‘aig an 0 
