The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-06-22
SMUT IN WHEAT. =

Remedies Recommended by Professor
Fletcher - Thoroughly Reliable.
All farmers know the loss that is Oc-
casionally caused BY the prevalence OF
smut in wheat fields. Various RENE
dies are in use with more or less Sic
cess to prevent or remove this disease
The same trouble is met with to >
greater or less extent all over the
country. In Canada = series of ex-
periments have been made at the ex-
perimental farm under the direction Of
Prof James Fletcher. with the result
that some authoritative statements.
based upon careful tests. are now given
to the public. The condition in which
the smut passes the winter is in the
shape Of the minute black spores pro-
duced in the ears of the wheat These
spores either adhere to the rire grain
of adjacent wheat plants or. falling to
the ground. remain there. in an unds-
ve:oped condition. until the young
wheat plant has STAINED the proper
growth for them to begin their attack.
By a proper system of rotation of crops.
wheat would not be grown again on
the same land for about four or five
years. or more. and by this time il il
probable that most of the spores from
the smut upon the previous wheat crop
would have persisted.
To successfully prevent smut appear
ing IN the field. the spores of the dis
ease must be removed before the seed
is planted. and this can only he done
by washing or sleeping the seed wheat
in some solution which is fatal to ths
disease. A number Of remedies are
given. but Prof Fletcher recommends
three. sitter thorough trial. as being re-
liable. First comes sulphate Of copper.
which is easily obtainable and chesr.
A pound of blue-Stone dissolved in five
quarts Of boiling water is sufficient to
treat four bushels Of wheat. the grain
being allowed to soak for ten minutes
or thereabouts Another method
claimed to have been successfully prac-
ticed is to dissolve pound Of the ms
terial IN pailful of hot water. which n
then sprinkled over ten bushels OF
wheat in wagon box. another person
vigorously stirring up the grain mean-
while.
This. however. is in direct contradic-
ton to the experience Of the New York
Experimental Station. where it wss
proved that oats soaked nearly eighs
teen hours in solution of LIMESTONE
still preserved a small amour! If smut
1t required forty hours Of soaking to
kill all the germs Of the fungus
Another remedy used frequently 10
to soak the grain for ten Or fifteen min
utes in brine Of the strength generally
nsed in picking pork. After tine brine
is drained of. lime should be sprinkled
over the wheat before it is sowed.
Yet another method is t" work the,
wheat water with mixture OF aka
line I've. A I've Suitable for this pur-
pose may be made by adding to three
Or four gallons of boiling water, in any
suitable vessel. one gallon of hard
wood ashes. and stirring frequently I'M
ill the alkaline properties Of the
ashes are extracted: Or an a!ks-
line solution Of sufficient strength may
be made by dissolving two pounds of
ordinary washing soda in pailful OF
water.
The most common practice in CHi-
ifornia is to make moderately strong
solution Of bluc-s.one and then soak
the grain in this over night. 1t may
be that less time would be perfectly
but this has been found
most convenient here and is generally
eoli,und Sorl Francisco ClnQnicIn