Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-11-13
FARM AND GARDEN.
RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS AT
THE OHIO AGRICULTURAL
STATION.
How to Prevent What is Called
"stinking Smut" in wheat-Pot-
ash in Soils for the p Productions
of Wheat Crops in Ohio and
Kentucky.

The August bulletin of the Kansas
experiment station contains the report
of an exhaustive experiment in the
prevention of the sinking smut OF
wheat, the results of which are so val
liable that they should have the widest
possible dissemination.
It is q we'll known fact that smut and
similar growths are due to parasitic
fungi, which propagate by spores sim
liar to seeds of other plants), these
spores being, in the case Ofwheat smut,
the black sinking powder that is found
inside the smutted grains. In thresh-
ing these grains are broken, the spores
are scattered over healthy grains with
which they are planted and on which
they take root and grow, sending up in
the issues of the young plant micro
scopic threads, which grow with its
growth, and when the wheat heads out
they penetrate the grains and there alb
sorb the nutriment intended for
the grain and convert it into the faetid
smut.
Knowing this history of the smut, ii
is easy to understand that any treat
ment that will kill the spores of the
smut on the seed grain will reduce the
injury to the following crop. 1t has
long been known that this might be
accomplished by soaking the seed
grain in solution of sulphate of copper
1blue vitroD, but this process has been
the disadvantage of injuring the vital
ity of the seed grain. The Kansas ex-
pertinent was undertaken with view
of ascertaining whether the desired OBJ
iect might be accomplished without
this injury. In this experiment fifty
enc different methods of treatment
were employed; some killed the grain
as we'll as smut; some did little or nc
good. The most effective treatment
was found to be simply scalding the
seed, a method first published by J. L
Jensen, of Denmark. =.
To accomplish this, the seed should
be handled in loose baskets, such al
will permit the water to pass readily
through them. 1t should first be dip
ped in water warmed to ITO to l20 de
grees, otherwise the scalding water will
be cooled too much; then dip it in {
large vessel containing water heated tt
not less than 1872 degrees and not ex
ceeding 1856 degrees. Shake or stir !
thoroughly, so that the water will reacl
every grain. Remove the basket oc
casionally and add boiling water unit
the temperature is brought to the up
per point. Keep it in hot water fifteer
minutes, then spread out to dry.
this work is thoroughly done the smu
pores will be destroyed without any in
jury to the wheat.
POTASH FOR WHEAT.
In the great experiment of Sir Joh1
B. Lawes, which have been conducte'
on Rothamsted farm for more tha
forty years, potash seems to have ha
no effect as a fertilizer for wheat, excep
when combined with both phosphori
acid and nitrogen.
In the experiments now in pre-
gress at the Ohio experiment static
potash seems to have no effect O
wheat, whether used alone or in an
combination.
AT the experiment station of Ker
lucky lat Lexington), potash has pre-
duced very marked increase of GRO
when used on corn, hemp, tobacco an
potatoes; but here again it fails to ir
crease the yield of wheat, whether use
alone Or in combination, as indicated b
experiments published in bulletin M
30, of that station, for August, 1890.
The Ohio and Kentucky experiment
are as yet in their infancy, and it
probable that as the soil becomes MOI
worn even wheat will show some benz
fit from applications of potash; but tn
present indications are that this sui
stance is seldom needed in fertilizer
intended for this crop.
It may be that the clover followin
the wheat will make good use of tt
potash, but this point should be dete
mined by experiment, not by que
work.