Colorado Agricultural College 
iT) 
the smut masses are enclosed usually until harvest. In the event of 
rupture of the membranes, the spores are freed and may then be car¬ 
ried to healthy grains by means of wind, rain, insects or other agents. 
A very small form of beetle (Phalacnis politus Mels) was found 
w’orking in large numbers upon the irnillets of our experimental plots. 
It was found that they fed upon the smut, breaking open the glumes, 
and scattering smut spores from plant to plant. Wherever this little 
beetle was found at work, the smutted heads were noticeably darker 
than unaffected ones and could be recognized at some distance. 'I'he 
beetle undoubtedly plays an important role in spreading the smut in 
fields where it is present. 
Other common means of disseminating smut spores are those of 
harvesting and threshing the grain. Whenever healthy and unhealthy 
stalks are handled together there is danger of contamination. In the 
Fig. 11. Smutted Pro.so millet. 
process of threshing, where both smutted and healthy grains are run 
thru at once, it is to be expected that the grain will be contaminated, 
and if used for seed, will hring forth a partially diseased crop. The 
same holds true for all cereal smuts as well, hence this phase of 
