Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-04-01
sMurTY WHEAT.
LIBERAL Application Of Blue Vitriol Almos
Sure Cure.

rsbar.l Application of Blue vitriol Alrnos
Sure Cure.
One of the most vexatious drawbacks
experienced by wheat growers all over
the world is the prevalence of smut
in the wheat field. There are several
| varieties of this parasitical growth, but
the name is oftenest given to the usti-
.ago segetum, or uredo segctum, which,
beginning at the base of the germen
and glumes of wheat, barley, oats or
rye, causes the death of the inner part
/ of the flowers and converts the whole
into sooty. dusty mass. There seems
TO be difference of opinion about tn.
manner in which it is occasiOned. Ac-
| cording to one authority, it has been
supposed to be disease caused by wet
seasons or other climatic conditions
But it appears to be pretty well estab-
lished by careful study that it is dis
ease occasioned by the presence of the
| mycelium of a fungus. the spores of
which are carried to the flower through
the juices of the plant. The use of in
fected seed is the principal manner in
which the disease is spread, and too
respect. While the growth of smut
does not invariably follow the use of
diseased seed; owing to occasional cli-
matte peculiarities, nevertheless it is
never safe to use such seed, since the
requisite conditions of heat and moist
ure are likely to occur at any time and
prove disastrous to the crop. Many
remedies have been suggested and ex-
perimented with in the effort to COM
bat this disease, but with one exception
SO far not much success has been
achieved. The use of solution of
blue vitriOl. or sulphate of copper, has
proved very beneficial in many cases.
its effect being to kill the germs when
properly applied. One formula for its
application is as follows: To three
quarts of warm water add half pound
of powdered blue yitriol. When cool,
sprinkle it over two bushels of wheat
until it is thoroughly wet. Place the
whole in heap and turn occasionally
for an hour until thoroughly damp
ened. If not to be sown at once, it must
be spread out and turned occasionally
to prevent heating.
This process, as will be seen, in
wolves a large amount of labor when
any considerable quantity of grain is to
be sown. Another method Of applying
the ''blue stone," as it is commonly
called, is as follows: A shallow, water
tight tank or trough sprepared, about
eighteen inches deep by two feet wide,
and of an indefinite ength-whatever
is convenient. Into this at night is put
the amount of seed wheat that will be
necessary to use on the morrow, and
solution of the blue yitriOl with water
in about the proportions given is
poured over the mass until it is COW
cred. This is stirred and allowed to
soak until morning, when it will be
found in condition for use. BY this
means it would seem that every parti-
Gle of the fungus spores adhering to the
seed will be sure of being reached by
the antidote, while by the former
method this is not at all certain of be-
ing done.
While the good to be secured by the
use of this remedy is in some cases dis
puted and its value discredited, the fact
probably is that in those cases where it
has not been successful the difficulty
has been that the vitriol has not been
thoroughly applied. or perhaps infect
ed seeds from the previous year have
remained in the ground and have
sprung up the following season, thus
conveying the disease among the seed
that has been treated. The remedy
then would seem to be the cultivation
of the field to some other crop for a
season or two, until such seed is no
longer in existence. At all events,
since it has been proved that the vitriol
will kill the fungus germs, it would
seem TO be a fact that all that is needed
is a thorough application of it to en-
tirely drive away the disease.-.San
Francisco Chronicle.