Delaware State journal, advertiser and star. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1832-1833, 1833-08-02

tiCc had and ever raised pure Wheat, al
though he had frequently bought impure
seed. Indeed he had not seen head Of
smut for long time, and entertained
the idea that it grew in the same head
with the wheat, and when he first saw the
smut head his curiosity was aroused.
Tn the spring of 1921, contracted with,
a gentleman farmer to take charge OF his,
farm. l could not conveniently obtain
any other than smutty wheat for seed.
NV employer was not slow to condemn,
lth;s ssmess of smut" / told him%Persu.
|baps | could learn him ga thing or two'''
concerning smut. l washed this wheat,
thoroughly, sowed it and raised from lit
excellent pure wheat. From the results
Of the first experiment, it appears rea-
{sonable to infer that smut does not GER.
inmate, but, by alhering to the wheat,
Icontaminates or diseases its roots and.
blade, imparts to them ,itiating print.
ciple which prevents the head from blos--
soming, and consequently PRODUCES
bliphting of the kernel. This is abund.
antly proved, as there was no kernel Of
smut in the seed sown, and as there was
nothing but pulversied smut in it, the
smut must have been produced by some
process similar to that above described.
The result of the second experiment sat-
(isfactorlly proves that ii smutty seed be
washed, smut will be prevented.
From the result Of 10th Of these exper.
|iments we see the fallacy Of HIS supposi.
ton that smu; is produced by a 5ug. In
1.-The first case the smut was rubbed hard
lin my hand and reduced to POWDER
Had there been eggs or grubhs. as I'll
states, they must have been masksd and
destroyed. But even supposing they had
been preserved and had Matched into
smut bugs, why did they not overlap heir
Iscanty domain, and commit their lawless
| depredations upon the circumja ter
ritory? In the second case the wheat
was washed by brook in the wheat field
and the smut left remaining. Had the
eggs in this smut hatched, the bugs
would have gone in quest of their natu-
raj food, and would have showed their
strong partially for the wheat nigh the
. brook. But nothing of this was discov-
; cred. HIS experiments prove that smut
5 is the alimcnt of the bug. that it riots in
it and generates in it and nothing farther.
Ii this is allowed to be proof that the
bug is the cause of smut, from analogy
he might reason that the woodchuck is
the cause of clover, because he inhabits
the clover and feeds luxuriantly upon it.
IL states that wheat, sowed on land ma
nured with the manure from the y;rd,
into which the straw and chaH OF smut
ty wheat had been thrown the year pre-
vious, produced abundance OF smut. This
is perfectly rcconcileable with my posi-
= ton. The wheat caught the contagion
. from the smut in the manure, as is fairly
proved to be the fact in my first expert
ment.
q Now, Mr.. Editor, allow me, through
d the medium Of your paper in plain far
mer style, to address myself to my broth
er farmers. Gentlemen, have not the
temerity to suppose that can instruct
the experienced. would modestly APP
pear before my superiors, not supp osing
, that an originating ideas for the ma
Jority OF farmers. But as often as sec
smutty wheat, or smutty bread upon the
e table,, am furnished with occuar de-
n monstration that there are farmers who
II do not know there is remedy In fact
d the very existence of smut in any consid-
lerable quantity, calls for something on
S this subject, and let this be my apology.
S. NOW II you have smutly seed wheat,
a. Just take it and a couple Of tubs, il buck
IN ct, sieve, and quantity of Stacked
,e lime, or unleached ashes, to brook or
x pool OF warm water. Cold water you
n would find rather uncomfortable TO the
is hands. Then take offyour coat and roll
r up your sleeves farmer like, put about
hall bushe into one of the tubs. fill the
te tub with water, stir the wheat SO that
ut the smut may rise, and skim off the smut
lie from the water. Repeat this operation
OF stirring and skimming until all the
I'd kernels OF smut have risen and been skim
S med oil, and then pour off the water.
"a " ash your wheat in second and third
at water, rub it hard in your hands SO as to
MS detach the particles of smut from the kerr
o. mel, not do it at the halves by stirring it
u with stick as l have seen some do
sc pour Oft the water, drain the wheat over
&c the sieve, empty the wheat into the spare
lyi,uG, add az the rate Of four quarts OF
ng Stacked lime or pecs. Of anieataacca;! ash.
~ es to the bushcl and your wheat will DC
a, ready and hit TO be sown. Lime or ASH
es not only serve as an aliment for the
'd plant but may tend to counterfeit the in.
Ell iluence OF smut, and absorbs the water
TO from the wheat so that it can be easily
he lsown. Without it wheat would fall in
vi punches from the sewers hand Wheat
1t may remain in lime some time without
s. injury, but it should not re main lone in
I'll ashes, as the alkali tend to DESTROY the
OF negotiating principle of the grain
i, Farmers, follow these directions and
our ears will no longer be pra,ed hv tLa