Wheat 53
these fungi are quite complicated, and need not be discussed
in detail here. The one important thing to remember in
I regard to all these fungi is, that wherever present they
reduce the yield of grain to a greater or less extent. 4
Wheat Rust. V ·
Wheat rust undoubtedly causes more damage to the wheat ·
i crop than any other disease, and in seasons favorable to its
growth and spread, may result in decreasing the yield of
grain 50 per cent. Every farmer is familiar with rust of
wheat, and knows the climatic conditions under which it
_ thrives, viz., hot, moist, showery weather during the period
of maturity of the wheat, followed by cooler moist weather.
Although the disease has been known and studied for a long
period of time, no really effective remedy has been found. `
Encouraging early maturity of the crop by having the soil in
good condition, and with plenty of plant food in it; sowing —
as early as may be safely done to avoid the fly, and having
a thick uniform stand of plants, will do much to reduce
the ravages of this disease.
It is also true that some of the common varieties of wheat ~
are more resistant to rust than others. Usually stiff, hard
strawed varieties are less susceptible to its attacks than the
weak, soft strawed varieties, and this fact may be taken ,
advantage of in efforts to reduce the losses from its presence.
In this connection it may be said that efforts are being y
made to breed up varieties of wheat that are practically rust
resistant, and that the outlook is fairly encouraging.
Wheat Saab.
Wheat scab is a fungus disease attacking the glumes or
chaff of wheat, causing the grains to be shrunken and
worthless. It is easily identified by the dead glumes, fre-
quently only a few on each head being affected, and by a
pinkish incrustation at the base of the affected glumes. It
is also dependent on climatic conditions, and only occasionally
is abundant enough to cause much loss. There is no known
remedy.