THE CULTIVATOR. 
209 
RUST IN WHEAT. 
Mr. Tucker —In my peregrinations, I often meet with 
practical men, who still believe that rust in wheal is 
occasioned by the fungus tribe, whose minute seeds are 
wafted abroad by a moist and foggy atmosphere from 
Barberry and bramble bushes, where they are grown on 
their native pastures, as it would appear for the very 
purpose of destroying the hopes of the husbandman. 
But since the doctrine of cause and effect is beginning 
to be better understood, it may be hoped that this, one 
of the most pernicious errors ever entertained, may also 
become extinct. That the rust and every other disease 
in wheat, as in everything else, is the effect of a cause, is 
a grand discovery, and must lead to the most important 
results, as man will no longer grovel in the dark, but 
feel himself competent to cope with the evil on plain 
ground, and the mastery will be his. 
I was, the last week, spending an evening with a very 
intelligent farmer, who had lately embraced this doctrine, 
and he does indeed rejoice in the light afforded him. He 
no longer trembles at the sight of a barberry bush, but 
when a blight takes place, looks back for the cause, and 
is pretty sure to find it in his diary, where is kept a daily 
account of the weather and its prognostics, and on 
turning to it to show me how truly the cause always pre¬ 
cedes the effect, I saw, often repeated, the following en¬ 
try: “ A sharp wind from the north-east this morning; 
look out for blight in some shape or other,” and if, at 
the time of blossoming or ripening of the grain, foggy 
and damp weather prevailed, I more than once observed 
the remark, “the value of grain has risen about five per 
cent, to-night,” and my friend has grown so confident 
as to believe he can, by care and fore-sight, prevent 
about one-half the evil that he has hitherto encountered 
in this way, and is enabled to account for the other half 
in a rational and satisfactory manner, and this to him is 
equal to the value of the whole. I found also, that he 
had made some very interesting observations on a popu¬ 
lar work that treats expressly on this subject, exactly in 
keeping with this new view of cause and effect, which 
I have prevailed upon him to allow me to copy, and 
present, with your permission, for publication in the 
pages of the Cultivator. 
In Vancouver’s Survey of Devonshire, England, there 
is a letter from a clergyman, addressed to the Surveyor, 
in which the rust in wheat is uniformly ascribed to the 
Influence of the barberry, bramble, and about half a 
dozen other shrubs and trees, and even grasses, on which 
fungi are produced; the seeds of which are scattered 
for miles by the first spring breezes, provided they are 
accompanied with moisture or fog. He says: “The 
fungus having arrived at maturity in the spring on cer¬ 
tain shrubs, bushes and plants, is taken up by the first 
humid atmosphere and wafted into the adjoining fields 
where the wheat under the western hedge is sure to suf. 
fer the most: the seeds being so minute and exceedingly 
light as to be wafted by every breeze, when accompanied 
by moisture or fogs.” Now how curious! that these 
minute seeds should be scattered by the very winds that 
are most unfavorable to their flight; for a moist breeze 
would assuredly deposit them instantly on the earth; and 
why is it, that the wheat under the western hedge is most 
likely to suffer? are there more barberry bushes in western 
hedges than any other? rather is it not because of its 
eastern exposure, to that quarter from whence the blight¬ 
ing blast proceeds? We all know that some years have 
no blight or rust, and yet these obnoxious bushes retain 
their positions, whether in the western or other hedges, 
which in those seasons when rust prevails the most, the 
early sown wheat is always least affected; this being 
universally the case, as shown by the Surveyor himself, 
for in the chapter on wheat he uniformly ascribes the 
rust and mildew to weakness or tenderness in conse¬ 
quence of late sowing and bad situations; and this 
throughout the whole seven districts which he is survey¬ 
ing. He says, “District No. 1. The mildew or rust is 
but little known, except in small enclosures and low situ¬ 
ations, where the crop is excluded from a free circula¬ 
tion of air in the higher parts of the country, where the 
fields are large and the division-mounds are covered only 
with dwarf hazel or willow and creeping brambles, the 
evil is by no means such as to require particular notice. 
District No. 2. Wheat has frequently been sown after tur- 
neps, but on account of its being so very liable to the rust 
when sown at that late season, barley is becoming its more 
valuable substitute. District No. 3. The rust or mildew 
is a disease seldom known in this district, except on wheat 
sown after potatoes, (late sown.) Disirict No. 4. Late 
sown wheat is found to be peculiarly subject to rust ox 
mildew, and is much complained of. District No. 5. 
Wheat sown late is always more or less injured by rust 
or mildew. District No. 6. When tui-neps fail, the land 
is sown with wheat, the early sown crops of which are 
the best sample, and by far the freer from rust or mildew. 
District No. 7. The late sown wheat is always very lia¬ 
ble to rust or mildew.” 
Now, after this, who would go and thrust his head into 
barberry or bramble bushes to seek for the cause of rust or 
mildew? while it is particularly worthy of remark, that 
the willow and bramble grow harmlessly on the “ divi¬ 
sion-mounds of large enclosures,” although these are 
amongst the accursed fungi-bearing tribes, enumerated 
by the surveyor’s reverend correspondent; and who him¬ 
self adds, “ In low situations and small enclosures, where 
there is a want of due circulation of air, the rust has 
been noticed to make a sudden appearance after foggy 
weather;” and how is it, if the rust is occasioned by the 
seeds of fungi, which sail against wind and weather, that 
the late sown wheat is always sure to catch them? The 
reverend gentleman says, “In damp weather its seeds 
are more immediately received into the leaves of trees 
and shrubs, together with their barks and fruits, through 
the medium of those valves and mouths with which 
nature has endowed them for the admission of moisture.” 
Then it would appeal-, either that the young wheat plants 
have larger mouths than the older ones, or that they are 
so inexperienced as not to know when to keep them shut, 
but, like children, must always be tasting! Unhappy 
urcliins! see what comes of indulging the appetite ! The 
rust, unlike the tempter of man, who goes roaring about 
seeking whom he may devour, prowls out on the first 
humid breezes of spring, tantalizing the little tender 
plants to take a sip at pleasure's fount, and down they go 
to perdition. 
See here now, the effects of ignorance and supei-stition. 
Instead of viewing things in a rational way, we are seek¬ 
ing for the most improbable modes of accounting for the 
commonest occurrences; and if a cold wind in the spring 
nips vegetation, causing the young and tender plants and 
the most exposed, to feel it the worst, the mischief, for¬ 
sooth, must be done by fungi, which have been sitting 
on some barberry or bramble bush, “to sally forth on 
the first humid breezes of the spring, to be the destroy¬ 
ers of thousands of acres of those golden sheaves, which 
are the husbandman’s hope, and the staff of life.” 
Charles Hamilton. 
Chester county, Pa., March, 1845. 
SETTING POSTS—FENCES—HARROWS. 
Mr. Tucker —-Posts for fences or other purposes, set 
into the ground, will last double the length of time by 
being put into the middle of the hole. The space 
around the post filled with small stones instead of earth, 
the earth does not come in contact with the post, and air 
is also admitted into the hole, both of which probably 
tend to prevent decay. In constructing fences, the earth 
taken from the hole is placed directly under the line of 
the fence, thus forming a ridge which is a saving equal 
to twelve feet of boards in four lengths of fence. The 
stones should be raised thi-ee or four inches around the 
post above the surface of the ground. The posts will 
not be very firm at first, but after standing through one 
winter their firmness will be much increased, and will 
continue to increase for several years. 
A post and rail fence constructed in this way forty-five 
years since, in the vicinity of Boston, is now standing, 
with the exception of one post, and will probably stand 
a dozen years more. 
The common zig zag rail fence is much more durable 
with upright stakes than with cross stakes. My method 
