Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-11-20
WASHINGTON.

MRS. TEREsE BLACKBURN STEWART.
daughter OF Senator Blackburn, of Ken
lucky, and Capt. William Preble Hall,
were married in st. Johns Episcopal
church Wednesday by the Rev. DR.. Doug
las.
GEN. s. V. BENET, chief of the bureau
OF ordnance, in his annual report, says
that while smokeless powder has been used
with good effects it is by no means certain
that it will supercede the present service
powder.
CHIEF SIGNAL SERVICE OFFICER GREE
LY, in his annual report, refers to the very
successful establishment of an elaborate
system of photographic signaling in the
department of Arizona, about 1900 miles
of heliographi: lines being operated
Messages we've successfully sent ninety
five miles. Regarding forecasts of
weather. he says 90 per cent. of all import
ant cold waves were predicted. Destruc'
tive tornadoes, he says, rarely occur of
tener than once in two years in any state
and tornadoes are not as destructive Of
life as thunderstorms.
Treatment for Smut in Wheat and Oats.
If wheat to be used for seed is suspected
of containing any germs OF smut, 1t should
be put through a treatment with copper
sui phate (biue vitrol or blue stone, but not
copperas, which is different substance
and inetfective) or with hot water. The
copper sulphate treatment consists In dip
ping the seed into a solution of one pound
to one lion of water, letting it remain
five minutes with constant stirring to wet
the grain evenly, and then sprea1 ling on a
floor to dry, or shoveling over with the adj
dition of land plaster and Stacked lime
until dry. The method is enot trouble
some or costly and is effective. The treat
ment will prevent all or nearly all occur
renee of smut in the crop following; it will
also, however, somewhat retard the early
growth of the grain and may somewhat
decrease the yield. A test of the hot wa
ter and copper sulphate methods applied
to the oats was carried out on the Purdue
0nd university station farm under the
supervision of Prof W. C.. Latta. The
facilities for making the tests wele only
such as any farmer has at hand, the work
being done by the farm laborers, who are
of the same class of workmen that are en-
ployed on other farms. Although the pro-
cess is very simple one, yet a description
of the exact method of handling the seed
may be of service to others who contem-
plate the treatment of their own seed
grain. Prof. Latta has written out the
following account of work done on the
station farm: 'ln treating our seed last
spring we used cold rain water with one
pound of copper sulphate to one gallon of
water. A common washtub was filled
about two thirds full of water. and enough
finely powered copper sulphate put in to
give the strength just stated. A bushel of
seed wheat was put into coffee sack
(any sack made of coarse open cloth will
do tied near the top of the sack and
immersed FIVE times in the copper
sulphate solution, turning and kneading
the sack so as to thoroughly wet all the
seed
The sack was then placed on bars across
the top of the tub to drain a minute, after
which the seed was spread thinly on an
airy floor The process was repeated with
another bushel of seed and so on until
enough had been treated To hasten the
drying and prevent much swelling OF the
seed it was busted heavily and repeatedly
with land plaster (pulverized air-slacked
lime will answer as well). and mixed
thoroughly. 1t is well to continue the
stirring every few minutes for lew hours,
and if the seed can be exposed meanwhile
to the sun, or in good current of air so
much The better. As each bushel will
take up part of the solution, it must be
rer!enlshed from time to time, adding
both water and copper sulphate iii the
proper proportions. Be sure that the cop
per sulphate is finely pow Tered, or the So
luton will be too weak at first and to
strong at last A man and boy can treat
six or eight bushels of seed in an hour. In
treating this hot water we filed two wash
tubs, each about two-thirds full, keeping
No. | at 1875 degree to 100 degrees Fahren-
heit ana No. at $50 degrees to 1873 de-
grees Fahrenheit THE present season 5 re-
suits show that the water in tub No. 2
should have oeen kept nearly five degrees
hotter.) The seed inclosed In sack as in
copper sulphate treatment was im.hersed
in tub No. | then drained a few seconds
and immersed five minutes in the No 2.
The first tub was used simply to warm the
seed and prevent producing the tempera-
ture below 100 degrees in the second tup.
The seed was spread and dried as in the
treatment with copper solphate. Care
must be taken to add hot water from time to
time to make the proper temperature. This
treatment has the advantage of Fastening
the sprouting and early growth, while the
copper sulphate retards the termination.
From all the data at hand the Indiana
Station arrives at the conclusion that to
treat seed wheat with hot water in order
to prevent smut it should be immersed in
water for FIVE minutes at l35 degrees
Fahrenheit; if the temperature drop below
this point the seed should left in the water
little longer time, and if the temperat-
ure rises above it, the time should be short
ened. greater variation than five de-
grees above or below the l35 degrees Fab,
renheit should be guarded against. The
practical details of the operations are the
same as for oats given in the foregoing,
with the exception that water Is used with
out the addition of copper sulphate The
hot water treatment is to be preferred, as
it does not retard termination.
Vigorous Men and Women.
The vigorous are they who pay attention to the
laws of health, of which one of the foremost is,
Take care of your digestion. Should temporary
attsck of the enemy, dyspepsia, surprise you, foil
his subsequent assaults with Hostetters Stomach
Bitters. From the stomach come the fundamental
supplies which minister TO ytgor, and, thoroughly
I'D FKr.N IL aafix