The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-03-07
FARM aM0 SarUem.
Smut. uIldew and Rust ia vThemt.


In an English work, entitled :. Jack.on's Ag-
ricultural and Dairy husbandry,", we find the
following:
Wheat is liable to certain diseases such as
smut mildew or rust, &c. With the view OF
preserving the grain from these most injurious
disorders, it is customary to prepare the seed by
stepping or picking it in a kind of saline brine.
or diluted urine. The value of this process may
be learned from the following experiments. as
stated in various reports before us. Mr.. Baily.
of Buckingham. tried experiments seed in
which were a few balls Of smut. One-thrd OF
the seed was stepped n urine, and lined: one
third stepped in urine dried and not lined and
the other third sown without sleeping or lining.
The result was that the seed which had been
picked and lined, and that which was picked
and not lined, was almost free from smut, while
that which was sown without undergoing the
process was much iieased. The following ex-
periments were made at Lord Chestertields farm
of Brady Hall, in Derbyshire. The first was on
peck Of very smutty wheat, one half of which
was sown in the state it was bought and the 9TH
er washed Ia two waters, stepped two hours IN
brine strong enough to toat an egg, and then
lined. The result was that two-thirds OF the
wheat grown from the unwashed seed was smut
ty, while that produced by the stepped and lined
seed, had not single ear OF smut. Inc second
experiment was made upon some very fine wheat
perfectly free from smut. \ quart of this was
washed in three waters 10 make IL perfectly
clean it was then put for two days into bag III
which was some black dust OF smutty grain, and
the result was that large portion OF wheat thus
sown was smutty, while out OF twenty acres
sown with the same grain, not innoculated, not
one smutty ear was found.
Mr.. TAYLOR, jr., of Buckingham, near Bunga-
~, rubbed number Of ears OF wheat with the
L u, L.
the powder adhere; one-half OF these were wash
ed, wettel with chamber I've and lined. A sim
liar quantity OF dry wheat then procured,
the whole being dipped, each parcel by itself.
The produce OF the infected wheat was three
fourth- smut; the same infected wheat, stepped
and lined, was perfectly sound. The valuable
results arisin. from Sleeping seed wheat need
not be further illustrated and we shall now pro-
coed u describe the process
Sleeping pckling is performed as already
mentioned, after the seed has been washed, by
allowing it to lie for a time in stale urine, dilut-
ed w.h water salt brine ot Sufficient strength
~ float an egg. The seed is put into tubs con-
tanning a. much liquid will cover the grain a
few inches, and allow il 10 bc VOL stirred, a.
70 briu~ all the l.h. grains 20 the surface which
are skinned off as long they continue to rise,
Another way is o. put the seed into baskets,
which are immersed in the water, are easily
taken out. and can be conveniently placed over
AN empty tub 70 drain. The seed is left for three
or four hours in the chamber I've. or fun six
hours in the pickle, after which the liquor is
drawn off, and the wheat spread thiniy on the
floor Of the granary, where it is well sprinkled
over with quicklme slaked in the liquid. About
half peck Of lime il sufficient for bushel OF
wheat, and it should be well stirred, SO tina,
every grain may get portion. If the seed is ,c
be drilled, il should be passed through coarse
-. j, lf.at 80
progress through the machine. The grain will
thus be quickly dried and it should not lie
more than six hours in the heap, then be spread
out and used the following day.