Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1879)
THE WEST SHORE. August, 1879. RUM IN okain fiki.ds. I lie manner in which Uic met : t it. iiiyc l uin lausweriug to the roiU uf other orders of plant) into the suliatancc uf the grain, disrupts the epidermis and turiu the material intended fur "gram maturing into 1 uiaasof reddish spores or "powder" may I-seen by the .mall engraving psj tin page. Thii 1 ngrsvmg show a part of the rusty grain st.m M lea' aa it aiieara under tin' microscope. The thread like "rooting" of the fungus in aeen in I v working ita way intu ami among the II. mIu' li ..impose the substance uf the grain plant, ami Fig 1 ehows the opening mado in the surfice or epidermis, wM h is Idled with the reddish siHiree or ctunt w hich ia discharged uMin the hand or clothing which touches the grain, anil which ly agitation la thrown into the atmosphere in such numbers that men ami am mala working in the rusty grain an tinged nith red, vary much aa are the workers in deposits of red iron ore. The runt fungni aaaiunea various forma at different periods of ita growth ami haa spores or reproductive luxliea of differ- ut 1 hsr.v t rs. 'Hie engraving shows at Figs. :i ami t two forma of spores which the fungua thrnwi out at other rioda of ita growUi. The ruinous effect "I mat upon grain, the dis heartening spectacle of a promising held cov- red .pu.-kly with a destroy mjj fungua growth, are known to moat grain gmwera. The ill effect of the mat iion harveat laborers, anil (he danger of feeding maty hay or atraw to aniuiaU are alan pouts of frrntient oliaervation. I: 1. interesting to kmi in what the poisoning i Miaiau. I u tins point there are a t-w int. realm..' olaaervatiuna to make The l-nri of iliffereiit fungi have different effects uin the ayitema of men or animals. The analysis ,,l one, for eiaiide, that known aa argot, shows the etistence of an organic l-.ison, ergotlue, winch i violent in ita action. Other fungi spires produce transient .lines ami discomfort, pmliehly liy their irritating effect uiion the ttaauoa of which the i.sna of the ay-atom are StsSftMsL 01 this lass is the fungus known as corn smut ( (afi fu mapitttl Cirn smut waa analysed laat Vai h I'rof. kedgie, chemitt to the Kansas State Itoard of Agriculture, ami found to com tain 110 active piieon as eiiata in ergot, ami yet smutty corn stalka fed to cattle irolucr ill effects I'rof liamgee. at one time employed hy the I.'. H I lor eminent to inveatigale this ijMattoo. decided that the aniut in . ..line, lion xith the hard indigealihle fiwlilrr of the corn sUlk induced impact of dry matter in the stomach of the animal and produced the diaeaao commonly known m "mad itch." The spore then acted aa a dry inaoltilde mechanical irri tant and prevented the etomach (Mm disposing of the hard stalks, Imt the pore in connection with moist food and plenty of walcr did not in jure a cow which, in one aerie of experiment, al.- more than M wunila of clear imut in her ll ,"it' probable that rosl spores are similar 111 their effect upon the animal to corn amut; that is they act aa a temporary irnlaut, and if con dition are (avoralde the system compaere and dispute of then, Were it not ... there would U a far greater mortality among aniinala fed upon maty hay Where the animal i well .. ui ished. tod haa plenty of is aUr and moist focal, the ml! urine is lempirarv . if the food ia hard m l dry aad apurea very abundant the dan rr w greater Kvery year thai mat ia preva lent m (twin fields there are reports of aicknaaa aog cattle la different parts of the Hletrm. We hare aiao aw record namrrous instance of noi swiss ley rust epnre ia other part of the w orld . and they are . , uite similar ia t heir ymp-t--ma and results Kor eiample, sl.ennau re purl tail of seven oxen fed on rusty barley traw. v. In. h lost dean, etood with their beck's treated aad necks iwiste.1, dribbling saliva frosa thr uxeatha, aaahl to g, fond lata the owoph a,ua. .xmflutuj heatrarW. evtdeaUv from the preaence of food in the pharynx irritating the enielottis voiding hard fi"w with great effort, and tome of them after aeveral days undergoing paralyaia of the hind (juarters and were then tilled. The others were put upon a diet of green clover and a little hydrochloric acid pat in their water, and recovered slowly bntcompfetely. Theec indicationa point to mechanical irritation from the mat sHirea rather than true poisoning, for the trouble passed away as soon aa the sys tem waa thoroughly purged of the cause. The effect produced hy the rust upon harvest laborers is also compatible with the idea of me chanical irritation. Not long ago at the Botanic liardeus 111 l-'.diuhurgh, the assistant to the tiotamcal profeaaorwas preparing for demonstra tion some dried ipeciincua of a large pull' ball, U.c.l with dust-like siwrus.which he accidentally inhaled and waa for tome time confined to hit room under medical attendance from the irrita tion which the spores caused. And yet there are fungua spore which are said to be dreadful in their effects. Theru ia a black rust which attacks the large reed ( Aruiulo dORUx) growing in the south of Kurope, the spores of which pro duce violent headache and other disorders among the laborers who cut the reeds for thatch ing. These spores are also credited with pro ducing violent eruption of the face, and symp tom of inflammation and swelling in other part of the body much like thoae known to attend poisoning by "poison oak." It cannot be that grain mat ia ao grievous a poison a thii reed- , , . i N'll 200 iff NM (ZOO MUU Ht'NT, as -us with Till KMMffOtn, rust of Kurope, because, although laborer in rust) grain fields get their hodie colored and their systems charged with the spore, the effect though very- uncomfortable, are not fatal nor ultimately dangerous. The most important featnre in all the wide range of diacnaaion of the rest fungus i to de termine ome method by which oor grain grower may be relieved from the great loa which it occasions them. Tins most vital point i the most ol.s. nr. , although widely studied and iperimented upoo. A we itated recently, the Australians are discussing the advantage of offering a premium of ? j:..iai (or a successful antidote. The nature of the fungus and ita dis semination make it imptsaaible to reduce ita spread aa is done with amut by soaking the seed in blue stone water. The mat ia wholly inde pendent of the seed. It will grow on other plants than . . reals, a on certain ah rube and weed, and then when condition favor it re production it rises in it might and rain the growing grain. One line of avoiding nut i by selecting varieties of wheat which are shown to be lea liable to mat than other. Investiga tions for raat-proof wheat bar been long per seed, and it ha been shown in Kngland that lit softer summed wheat are more liable than the harder. IiANOSHAN FOWLS. The Langshan fowls are now occupy ing considerable attention in English poultry circles. The writer says he is convinced from examination that whatever affinity they nay have to the Cochin race, they possess sufficient characteristics to entitle them to the liniaaawisi of s olaim as a separata class from Cochins. It appears to him also that they are wall adapted for farmers' poultry, and that few breeds an more suitable for farmyards. These fowls are remarkable as winter layers, at a time other hen are idle. Beginning in the autumn, they will lsy from 90 to 100 of fair and rather over the average size of eggs. They are careful mothers. The male birds weigh from 8 to I- pounds, the hens from 7 to 10 pounds. They make weight rapidly on ordinary fare, averaging something like a pound a month for the first six months. The writer has not tested them as table birds, but is informed that they rank only second to game for the flavor of the flesh. Thus, they are hardy, fertile, and pos sess plenty of weight for the table three most essential qualities for the farmyard. There were some beautifully feathered birds among the llock examined, ao level and smooth are they, and the nock and wing feathers a beauti ful hectic green, shine and scintillate in the sua in a variety of hues. They also possess the pink skin between the toes, which is not found in the Cochins, and the tails and other contour of the Latngahans are dissimilar from Cochins. The gentleman who is raising them extensively in Kngland says that so long aa they are sup plied with green food occasionally ia the form of s sod of grass, they thrive and lay almost e. 1 11 ally as well as those which have the range of the farm. The hen chickens begin to lay it live months old. Agricultural QatHU. Tin Mont Vkntoi'X Mki 1:01101.0.. 1. u. 0 an tit vatokv. Some time ago M. Bouvier, Kngineer in chief of Bridges and Highways in the Depart ment of Vauclnse, took the initiative in advo cating the construction of an observatory at the summit of Mont Ventonx. Considerable sub scriptions in aid of the good work have since flowed in from friend of agriculture and of sci ence, and it its list meeting the Conseil (ienersl of the Department, at the instance of M. K. Has pail, voted a sum of 20,000 francs towards the . "list ruction of a road giving access to the site. The contemplated work may now, there for, be considered on the high road to success, and it completion will be regarded aa a subject of legitimate congratulation, for an observatory it this point should furnish valuable data, which, continued with those collected at Pie-du-Midi and Puy-de-Dotne, will reader com plete the system of meteorological studies for tlx whole of the south of France. toOMMIw TllIRMO-iRAFH. An ingenious arrangement, capable of being utilised lor re cording the temperature of mines, has been pa tented by Mr. Bowkett, of the Lsted Fever Hospital. It consists of a hollow tube similar to that in the Bourdon pressure-gauge bent into a semicircle and tilled with a suitable fluid, one end hermetically sealed, the free arm of the other operating a lead-pencil which marks on s dial, moved by clock-work, and which is divided by radii into hours, and provided with concentric circle for indicating the rang of ex pansion and contraction. A I'ttiTrY girl won a musket in a lottery. Wheu they gave it to her she asked, "Doa' they give a soldier with it'" 1'h 1 compoaitor who made it read, "la tke midst of life we are in debt," wasn't mack oat of the way. Thi frog is the only animal that give up tale bearing after its period of idoleacenoe. U.xi thing in which two heads an bettor than one A barrel.
