Rust and Smut in Wheat.

Otago Witness, Issue 1602, 5 August 1882, Page 7

Rust and Smut in Wheat.

A recently published wheat manual saya Rust, smut, and other forms of fungus are usually due to a lack of drainage, stagnant water in the subsoil, and a too succulent growth of the plant by the excess of nitrogen* ous matter, and a lack of soluble silica in the soil, which cause soft, spongy straw, not sufficiently glazed over with silica to render it hard and stiff, to resist eifect of changes in temperature. It is maintained that perfect drainage and complete pulverisation of the soil, so as to freely admit the circulation and action of the air and moisture all through it, by which silica and other mineral matters will better dissolved, will almost entirely remedy the evil, especially with a liberal quantity of potash and salt in the soil. Ashes, lime, and salt, with moisture, are powerful solvents of all matters in the earth necessary to make stout, healthy wheat crops. Hence their action does much to prevent rust and smut, as also does soaking the seed six to ten hours in salt or bluestone brine, and then stirring the graininlime or plaster liberally to dry it for working freely through the drill in planting. A moderate dressing of lime on the growing wheat, late in fall or early spring, when wat with dew or rain, is a good preventive and cure. But early harvest, while the grain is soft, is a very sure way to avoid the destruction by rust.