42 
Jensen, J. L. Journal of the Eoyal Agricultural Society of England, 
Yol. XXIY., Part IT. The propagation and prevention of smut in oats 
and barley. 
This is the title of a paper which has been reprinted in pamphlet form 
from the journal of the Eoyal Agricultural Society of England. The 
paper is full of practical ideas, many of which are comparatively new, 
and deserves careful attention by all grain-growers. 
The paper is divided into three parts: A. Propagation of smut; B. 
Varieties of smut; C. Prevention of smut. Under the first head Mr. 
Jensen states (1) The spores of smut falling on the ground during the 
summer will not to any appreciable degree affect barley and oats grown 
in that field in the ensuing season. (2) The spores of smut in farm¬ 
yard manure, when applied to the field, will not to any appreciable ex¬ 
tent affect oats and barley. (3) Spores of smut adhering externally to 
the seed of barley and oats are unable, to any appreciable degree, to 
infect the crop produced from that seed. (4) Although, as is shown by 
the foregoing, it is impossible to infect oats and barley with smut spores 
to any appreciable extent by applying them to the seed, yet there can 
be no doubt that the spores are the reproductive bodies of the fungus 
by which smut is propagated in nature. 
The first three statements are supported by statistics of experiments 
in which seed was sown in soil containing smut spores, in heavily ma¬ 
nured soil, and with spores dusted on the outside of the seed ; in no case 
was there an appreciable increase in The amount of smut. Under 4, Mr. 
Jensen attempts to answer the question, u In what manner does the 
propagation of smut take place?” His experiments led him to the fol¬ 
lowing solution of the question : Infection takes place by means of 
spores which, having gained admission within the husk, remain there 
quiescent until the grain germinates. 
Under B is given the results of experiments to determine whether or 
not the smut which affects barley, oats, and wheat are the same spe¬ 
cies. The author concludes from these trials that if these smuts are 
not different species they are at least well marked varieties. He fur¬ 
ther remarks that to the farmer this information is of importance, as 
there is no fear of adjacent fields sown with different crops infecting 
one another; a smutted barley field, for instance, will not infect a field 
of oats, or vice versa. 
C. Prevention of smut. —The various dressings, such as sulphate of 
copper in solution, solution of sulphate of copper with quicklime ap¬ 
plied about twelve hours afterward, sulphuric acid and water, quicklime 
with or without subsequent treatment with common salt are first enu¬ 
merated under this heading. The author then gives the results of his 
experiments with these preparations as well as with several methods 
of his own conception, which consisted in exposing the grain to dry and 
moist heat, also soaking it in water ranging in temperature from 123° 
to 133° Fahr. 
