e*n »>y Bradstrcet's Jour-
nal.
n!n.r,,year-«P>>t w»often.
fUh I r' WOnderth»t theredrust
ls.,1 .,req»ently prevalent on the
WaEATR!^
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, AUG. 16,1884.
NO. 33.
^^ifoSl^0^8
'•lew of Th
i
MLi in s_
■ly followed
Mew
'ItlU't
mi
pring was by ^0 mean8 lnvari.
by au extensive  attack of
There
was even, apparently, a
, ,,etw<-en science .and experience
this point; for whereas the men of
»*««■ declared that rust was the second
*--»in the life ofthe parasitic fungus
uiihU-gm, with cluster-cup and ends
■th mildew, farmers in England regarded
-*t with comparative composure, and
tnv even said it was a sign of a good
fll. The mystery has. been at least
^-teuMhly soh-ed by Dr. Plowright, of
W* Lynn, Norfolk, England, who last
ring anil summer investigated the sub-:
• t thoroughly, and discovered that there
> two varieties of rust, one comparative-
hirmless and the other extremely mis-
levous. The first he terms Uredo rubigo-
r»-a very unfortunate use of an old
■nip for a newly-discovered variety—and
H t the true rust. To the second he gives
'generic name of Uredo linearis, ap
"1 to all the rusts of plants. Last year
r I'lowriglit appeared to be of opinion
•»t ihe former rust did not develop into
'.■lew; but now he has found that it has
• ^nie three stages of life as the latter—
•-.er-oup, rust and  mildew.   The mil-
-» slai-e of the early rust, however, does
little harm that it has passed unnoticed.
"• l'lowright  names ita three  stages as
'Hsn.
EiRl.v RrsT {Puccinea JtubiffO-vrra.)
(' i-'i-r-i-iip str.ge, .TX idtuin asperfolli, on various
• -*ff th? Ilnrage family.
Ii.iiJA.-e, f'reilo ritbigo-vera, on wheal and bar-
Ve'ei
'irlei-
Mage, Piieelnea ritbiffo-rera, on wheat
I.
He call? it early rust  because its attack
' «i early in  gpring.   This is  the rust
*. h has been so abundant  on wheat,
r'»y »nd oats  in England  during  the
■"Tit -leason.   The spores of it, Dr. Plow-
»'ht mj-», are quite distinct from those of
<*more dangerous rust,   which does not
<•> ili appearance in England before the
' of June.   This early rust, he says, ex-
!«over the greater part  of an affected
.lilt is best developed upon the under
"'■we; and this it is which often covers
* l«viss of those who walk through wheats
•'"■j" in spring with  a yellow  powder.
j ill) examined, tbis rust is seen to be in
ff'rni of a large number of small yellow
'. >ery little larger than a pin's head,
din gated, and not round. The im-
'••nt point to notice, however, is that
f»r»tivcly few of the spores have
|" *»ri through theonter cuticle of the
•'• In the course of a few weeks the yel-
* 'f-its bexvme black, and this is the
'-* stage of early rust, or Puccinea
'*"> vera. The cluster-cup stage, Dr.
•"neht says,  is very rare in England,
11* his never seen it.   The rust repro-
**it*.If without  the cluster-cup stage.
^* 'pots of the rust which  precedes
I
mildew proper aro larger and less numerous than those of early rust, and the
spores always break through the outer
cuticle of the leaf and tho stems of tlio
wheat plant, and every spot develops infallibly into the black mildew with which
every farmer is familiar. Dr. Plowright
names the threo stages of life as follows:
"WlrKAT Mildew (Piirc'nla fframints).
1. Cluster-cup stage, .KrW'U/'i ItcrlterUlts, on barberry.
2. Rust stage, Uj-edo linearis, on wheat.
3. Mildew stage, Puccinea j/rainints, on wheat.
He says that investigations made by
friends of his in Australia show that the
rust from which Australian wheat sutlers
so seriously is the rust of the mildew-
proper. But there is no barberry in Australia, except in a few gardens. What
plant takes theplace of barberry in producing the cluster-cup stage of mildew Dr.
Plowright does not tell us; nor does he
say that the rustof this mildew reproduces
itself without the cluster-cup stage in Australia, as he says early rust does in England.
It appears to us that the subject requires
further investigation before the final word
can be said upon it. Is Dr. Plowrightquite
certain that the spores of the two forms of
rust are specifically distinct? That is the
crucial point of his alleged discovery; because until that is absolutely proved, it is
possible to hold the theory,that the early
and late rusts are only modified forms of
the same fungus, one rendered less virulent than the other, perhaps, by having a
different host-plant for the cluster-cup
stage. The subject is of great importance
and one worthy of the attention of tho
most eminent mycologists.
Dr. Plowright has contributed to tho
Mark Lane Express a full account of tho
discovery which ho claims, and it is from
an advanced proof of that article, with
which we have been favored, that we have
taken his leading statements.
CONDITION OP THE CROPS.
The Monthly Report of the Department of Agriculture Shows  Cause
for Gladness.
The Department of Agriculture reports
the condition of cotton improved in Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, I/niisiana
and Arkansas In North Carolina and
Georgia its average status is unchanged
since the July report. In South Carolina,
Florida and Alabama, excessive rains have
caused a weedy growth and havo prevented
cultivation. In Texas tho drought has
caused a loss of one point and raised serious apprehensions for the future. The
cotton moth has appeared in the Gulf
States, and worms are reported in a few
counties, but no damage as yet has resulted. The plant is generally reported
late and deficient as yet in fruitage, but in
condition to give good results with favorable weather and deferred frosts, or to
show a heavy depreciation, with continued
excess of rain in one section and drought
in the other. The average condition has
advanced from 80 in July to a little above
87.
cons.
The condition of corn averages tho same
as in the July report, and is higher than in
August  since 18*0.   It has been exceeded (
but three times in ton years—in 1S7.">, 187!»
and IHSO—when it was W in each instance.
There has been an improvement in Iowa,
Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Georgia,
Alabama, Kentucky, New Jersey and the
Pacific coast. A slight decline in tho condition is reported in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and in some of tho Southern States.
A drought has prevailed in portions of this
valley and in Texas, with considerable
severity, reducing tho condition of corn
six points. The averages of tho principal
SUites aro:
Maryland  W
North Oarollim f,
(■.■..rgla  T,
Mississippi  l»l
Tex a*  ra
ll'lltlOHHeC  ***•'
K.-nlucky "I
Indiana Vt
Iowa IIB
Kansas  101
New York 91
Virginia... '.is
South Carolina  1*1
A lat.uiiia '"*.>
I^iulsliina 7S
Arkansas HI
Pennsylvania.. '.to
Ohio  M
Illinois •■>•
Missouri 102
Nebraska    .lor>
WIIKAT.
Tlio report for wheat includes only tho
spring wheat region. The average* is '.is,
ono point higher than in tho two last good
wheat years, and higher than in any year
since 1S77.
The averago for the condition of oats is
!>4, one point lswer than in 1883. The
crop has lr*ien harvested in tho lower latitudes, and promises a lino yield in most of
tho Northern States.
The condition of rye averages !I7, the
same as last month, as harvested and
ripening.
llarley also maintains its high conditions,
and buckwheat promises a full crop on an
area about the same as last year.
The prospect is favorable for another
largo crop of potatoes, not so full as last
year, on an aroa 3 per cent smaller. Tho
present indications point to a crop of aliout
10 per cent less than that of 1S8.1, with a
larger difference if the future conditions
should be less favorable.
peas are probably so, as they have in
many cases died off prematurely. Itoot
crops are generally very defective, and
tlio hay crop Is a miserably poor one.
Potatoes, as already mentioned, aro luxuriant in all part/4 of tho kingdom.
Tlio Itoyal Agricultural Society's show
at Shrewsbury Is being held during tho
present week. It wax opened on Saturday,
and will close to-morrow night. It is one
of the best shows over hold by tho society.
Tho entries of Hereford cattle and Shropshire sheep aro tho largest over known,
and such a show of those animals has not
previously boon held anywhere. Shlro-
bred horses aro also In strong force and
very meritorious as to quality. Tho other
divisions of tho llvo stock department
wero fairly or well filled; but tho rising
breeds of horses, cattlo and sheep al>ovo
named mako up tho especial glory of tho
exhibition.
Cross Drilling.
Kdltor* Indiana Farmer:
The following diagrams represent two
methods of drilling wheat:
No, 1 allows the wh.-at drilled one way. one and a
half bushels lo the acre, and shows half tin- amount
of ground nccupliHl and half the rlianre for a irmwl
crop.
Crops in Europe.
Prom liOndon Correspondence to July
20th: In southern Hussia, where drouth
had done much mischief, prospects havo
been greatly improved by rain, and it is
much tho almoin Hungary. In Germany
crops are nourishing. In France, where
harvest is nearly over in the south and
about beginning in the north, reports are
conflicting, but point to about an average
yield on the whole. India is still tho
"dark horse" as to wheat supply for this
year, as no authentic estimates of the
quantity available for export haveoomo
to hand. All that is known is that wheat
has recently been arriving freely at the
ports. Tho inevitable conclusion is that
prices must remain low for another year
at least. For the sake of farmers here and
elsewhere I wish it were otherwise. I
know that wheat at 40s. per quarter
does not pay English farmers, and I doubt
whether ,\merican farmers can obtain a
profit from sending their wbeat hero to
sell at 3fis. to ?>!**•.
All other crops but wheat will be below
averago in this country, although the recent rains will help the spring-grown
crops materially. There are some splendid fields of barley in all parts of the
United Kingdom; but there are too many
very thin and light pieces to allow of an
average produce. Oats aro very short and
generally light, l»eing worse than barley.
Beans  aro certainly  below  averago, and
No. 2 enow* wheat drilled both waya, three necHs
each way, or one and m half bushel* lo Ihe acre, and
ahows twice Ihe amount of ground i-crniil.il and Ihe
chance tor a good crop.
I am of tho opinion that|wheat sowed
two ways ln a field would stand a much
better chance by boi ng divided thus. We
sow to* much grain on a small amount of
ground to get a large yield, therefore we
shall try cross drilling this fall, and see if
our idea is right. Wo hope some other
readers „f the farmer will do likewise and
report to the Kahmki,, Of coume it takes
more time, but wo believe wo will bo
amp y repaid for our time. This plan will
also l«ve our ground In a splendid condition for the machine in harvest.
Atlama Av tj. 8.
W.E.B.-