Although we do not profess to teach practical men how to grow good corn, or how they shall get rid of, or keep clear from, the many foes to which their crops are exposed, yet a suggestion may be offered, based upon the facts obtained in our botanical researches, supported by the analogy of allied circumstances. In this instance the extreme minuteness and profusion of the spores would evidently render all the corn liable to the attachment of, perhaps only two or three, spores to the seed coat. Some ears of corn in nearer proximity to the smutted ears may be covered with spores which yet remain invisible to the naked eye, and when these grains are mixed with others in the heap, the chances are not much in favour of any handful not becoming charged with spores. If the majority of these were not redeemed from destruction by the many changes, shiftings, rubbings, and scrubbings to which the seed corn is liable between the time of its reaping and the period of its sowing, we might expect a very large crop of “smutted” corn. Under ordinary circumstances we can scarcely imagine that the loss arising from infected ears would repay much special labour to prevent it, only that to a large extent the precautions taken to cleanse the seed corn from the spores of one fungus will also avail for another, and while cleaning it of the spores of “smut,” those of “bunt” will also be removed. The facts that we rely upon chiefly as indicating the remedy are that the spores are only superficially in contact with the seed corn, and that they are of less specific gravity, causing them to float on the surface of any fluid in which the corn may be immersed. Again, the spores of many species of fungi will not germinate after saturation with certain chemical solutions. One of the most successful and easy of application is a strong solution of Glauber’s salts, in which the seed corn is to be washed, and afterwards, whilst still moist, dusted over with quick-lime. The rationale of this process consists in the setting free of caustic soda by the sulphuric acid of the Glauber’s salt combining with the lime, and converting it into sulphate of lime. The caustic soda is fatal to the germination of the spores of “bunt,” and probably also of “smut;” although, as already intimated, except in cases where these affections of the corn are very prevalent, we shall be informed by the agriculturist that the cost of labour in the prevention will not be compensated in the cure.