Yeuuow-berry in Wheat 
29 
fact. It is not intended to commend this procedure, but we had 
little or no reason to treat our seeds. The only reason that we 
would have had for treating it would have been to combat the 
Altenaria which is the principal cause of our black-pointed berries, 
and the ordinary treatment usually given seed grain is of little or 
no value in this case. There is no question but that the soil may 
become seriously infected with fungi injurious to crops and all 
reasonable means should be used to prevent or correct such a con¬ 
dition, but our grain is not injured by fungi. 
As already stated, the weather conditions during the growing 
period of these crops were favorable, only one unfortunate feature 
appearing in the two seasons. This was a violent shower on 28 
July 1914; this shower was of short duration but did considerable 
injury to my crop. The only question which concerns us in regard 
to this injury is, did it play any part in the production of the yellow- 
berry? This question can be answered in the negative, especially 
if we consider the question to refer to the cause of this affection. 
The reason is conclusive, because the yellow-berry had already ap¬ 
peared in the wheat, that is in some of it, before this, besides in 
1913 we had perfect weather conditions and we had yellow-berry, 
not so badly as in 1914, but badly enough to give a definite, nega¬ 
tive answer to the question suggested in this, connection. 
The only causes, heretofore, assigned for the appearance of 
this affection in wheat are over-ripeness of the wheat, standing too 
long in shock, exposure to the action of moisture, air and sun¬ 
shine, a heritable “tendency”, the action of fungi, and climatic and 
weather conditions,—no one of which can be considered as the 
cause in our case. In 1913 the wheat was cut just as soon as we 
considered it safe to do so-, and likewise in 1914, except that the 
Fife was a day or two earlier than the Kubanka and Defiance, and 
they were cut on the same day. The wheat was allowed to stand 
in shock not more than twelve days either year and no rain beyond 
a trace, less than four-hundredths of an inch during the twelve 
days, fell upon it, so we considered over-ripeness or late cutting and 
exposure after cutting as sufficiently answered by the elimination 
of both, besides the yellow-berry appeared in the most pronounced 
fashion while the berries were still green. That adverse climatic 
conditions had nothing to do with it, is evident from the record, for 
we had clear, warm, dry weather conditions for the whole growing 
periods of the two years, with the slight exception already men¬ 
tioned. 
We have no proof at all of any fungous trouble with either 
the wheat or the plants other than that already mentioned which 
is not significant and has no relation at all to the yellow-berry. 
