Misc. Subjects CXXFI. y 0 i p% jv 0 . §3; 



THE BLAST OF WHEAT. 



T^ 16 hlast of corn, which frequently im- 

 pairs the produces of harvest, is a sickness 

 ®f the corn-plants, which is not discernible 

 untili the ears begin to bud. Wheat 

 is most frequently attacked by this sickness 

 of blast, that consists in the grains not 

 beirig duely ripe, whence instead of 

 containing a white and mealy substance, 

 they are filled up with blackish grains 

 consisting of dust and stinking in their 

 fresh state , whereby at length the whole car 

 is soiled, when the blighted wheat-grains 

 burst and the blasting flies out. F. I is a 

 blasted wheat - grain in its natural greatness. 

 Fig. 2. and 3. considerably magnified, b b b 

 in both figures there are the tops sterilized 

 by sickness, a a. Fig. 2. ihe pistils defor- 



med by sickness. Fig. 3. shews the interior 

 of a blasted wheat- grain. Fig. 4. exhibits 

 a number of magnified grains of the blas- 

 ting. Every grain is composed of several 

 other lumps accumulated together, which 

 we discern through the microscope on moi- 

 stening the blast. Fig. 6. shews the form of 

 single grains of the sound and immature 

 wheat-flour, when it is wettish. The bla- 

 sting of wheat is but a particular kind of 

 mushrooms consisting of dust and belon- 

 ging to the genus blast, comprehending 

 many species. To the same genus is like- 

 wise ascribed the pretended rust of corn. 

 Ia Fig. 5* we behold the form of the grains 

 of the rust of barley greatly magnified. 



