Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-11-08
FARM AND GARDEN /,
RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS AT THE OHIO
AGRICULTURAL STATION.
How to Prevent whnt Is Called "Stinking
Smut" in Wheat-Potash In Soils for the
Productions of Wheat Crops in Ohio
nnd Kentucky.

The August bulletin of the Kansas
experiment station contains the report
of an exhaustive experiment in the pre-
vention of the sinking smut of wheat,
the results of which are so valuable that
they should have the widest possible dis
semination.
1t is n well known fact that smut and
similar growths are due TO parasitic
fungi, whiSh propagate by spores (simi-
lar to seeds of other plants, these spores
being. in the case of wheat smut, the
black sinking power that is found
inside the smutted grains. In threshing
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 pnnt micros-
copic threads, which grow with its
growth, and when the wheat heads out
they penetrate the grains and there
absorb the nutriment intended for the
smut
Knowing this history Of the smut, it
is easy to understand that any treatment
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 mightbe accomplished
by soaking the seed grain in solution of
sulphate of copper (blue vitrioD, but
this process has the disadvantage of
injuring the vitality of the seed grain.
The Kansas experiment was undertaken
with view of ascertaining whether the
de sired object might be accomplished
without this injury.
In this experiment fifty-one different
methods of treatment were employed; +;
some killed the grain as well as smut;
some did little or no good. The most
effective treatment was found to be SIM
ply scalding the seed, method first
published by J. l.. Jensen, of Denmark.
To accomplish this, the seed should be
handled in loose baskets. such as will
permit the water to pass readily through
them. Ii should first be dipped in water
warmed to 11O to 100 degrees, otherwise
the scalding water will be cooled too
much; then dip it in a large vessel con-
tanning water heuted to not less than l32
degrees and not exceeding 135 degrees.
Shake or stir it thoroughly, SO that the
water will reach every grain. Remove
the basket occasionally and add boiling
water until the temperature is brought
up to the proper point. Keep it in hot
water fifteen minntes, then spread out
to dry. If this is thoroughly done
the smut pores will be destroyed without
any injury to the wheat.
POTASH FOR WHEAT.
In the great experiments of Sir John
B. Lawes, which have been conducted
on Rothamsted farm for more than
forty years, potash seems to have had
no effect as fertilizer for wheat, except
when combined with both phosphorc
acid and nitrogen.
In the experiment now in progress at
the Ohio experiment station potash
seems to have no effect on wheat,
whether used alone or in any combi-
nation.
At the experiment station of Kentucky
lat LeXington). potash has produced a
very marked increase of crop when used
on corn, hemp, tobacco and potatoes
but here again it fails to increase the
yield of wheat, whether used alone or in
combination, as indicated by expert
ments published in bulletin No. 80, of
that ststion, for August, 1890.
The Ohio and Kentucky experiments
are as yet in their infancy, and it is
probable that as the soil becomes more
worm even wheat will show some benefit
from application of potash; but the pre-
sent indications are that this substance
is seldom needed in fertilizers intended
for this crop.
1t may be that the clover following
the wheat will make good use of the
potash, but this point should be deter
mined by experiment, not by guess
work.
THEOHIO RIVER.
New Cumberland, West Va. Nov. 4, 1890.
At this point the scenery is unrivallad