Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-04-07

information about srnats:
SHUTS are minute parasitic plants be-
longing TO the group fungi. 81 their
action they cause diseases OF higher
plants. The two snuts which cause
the greatest damage IN the United
States. and which for this reason viii
be chiefly considered here ARE the loose
smut IF oats and the sinking smut Of
wheat. It is hoped that the following
brief descriptions vii! enable any one
to recognize them.
In case Of the LOOSE smut Of oats the
grains and usually the husks are trans-
formed into Il black. powdery mass
consisting Of the spores Of the fuDgns.
jnterlnlIed with Il few shreds OF tissue
OF the plant Itself. The DAT plant first
shows signs Of the disease al the time
Of healing ont. when. instead of nor
NAL head a spotted one is produced.
The smut becomes fully mature at the
time Of bIosso:niMg o: he oats and i.
then easily scattered by the winds I,v
harvest Time the smut has often been
cntrnl: blown AVA leaving ONLY the
naked stalk Remaining. Til. ;,rprs is
known IN iotani3ts as the Est2ogo acenu.
The sinking smut oi Wheat. unlike
that Of oats. attacks ONLY Tn. ryain. In
CONSEQUENCE. the heads haze nearly
their normal aDnraraucc. E-por c,nsc
examination tie grains ar. g..a, ~ l..
swollen. Of a rrccnis!, color ~ first hu,
finally BROW! or yr;.v. r. one Of ,g,.s.
swollen ;Inuttcl grains H.. rru-n.d :,
will BE- found to be flied viii, = dan
browni2h powder which lag =, ,cr,,
penetrating and diyarrcrug,l. oIn,.
The !rnsrncD Of this odnr ,v,,i,l, ,,,s
given rise 10 the common name i. :.
very good tc.t for tie prsseuce Of ,1u,,,
The smut is due 10 either Of i,yn ycr,,
nearly Identical funri y,7!e,ig f;,,nn,
and +. irictti
The amount Of dImarc dome l,v ~.
loose smut Of oats il very rarely frIlv
APPRECIATED. Whcrecycr careful iuv.c-
LEGATIONS have Lccn made the rcr cent
cent Of heads ATTACKED Nv snu, h.,c
been found TO he rnu.ie,cr,i,,,. ~.
avcraus. loss il from t;.c .;r, ,r.I,. r,.,
cent in different Identities in ,h. 1:..i-
ted States. The percenr;,,c nf e,nu,,,.L
heads also varies in 4 piycu lnr,Ii,v !,
different years r'GraIIv,l,. e,ru, II,
for az I,arrcst time mos, Of the g,ru,
has fallen from the Ijgcagrd h.:,rs and
leaYing often only Tie. bare and iucn,-
gpicuOu5 stocks. The question ,rilI no
doubt be asked: viii if nav 1n .re,,
the oats for seed when o,lv five n, e,e,
ten per cent of the hcads are s,nutt.d>
1t NAV be said in ansy.r th.. ,h. ,,r
cent Of heads DESTROYED Iv srnu, dn.y
not represent the p,uour, tr., ui,i H.,
recovered bv tlcatjur the crc1 r., 81,
the careful cxpcrj,ncu,g made with ,l,.
Of seed treatment d..crihod
below there has been fnurd ,n J.. 80,
extra increase. hcyo,ld and .I,o,o ,,,,.
that wouId ua,,r,llv u. .~-
pccicd by rcu!acine srnutt.d heads wi,,,
sound ones. This cx,r, iucr.,:. !.
to be- found 10 ranrn FROM one ,o t.,,
times tie amount Of direct daru,,,e. r.-
suIting from the loss Of tlc e,nn,,cd
heads. Besides tins rair thar. iu ,l,,,
arising from the fart tina, .,,c o,,o,,,,.
are raised from treated gecd will ,,,
ducc Il crop free from smut if ,hcrc ar.
no sIluttv oats IN u.jghh,rjno G.ld.
Taking all ,hcgn facts into c,n.id.r,
ton il Is I!ieb!v prob..b,. that !, v;,IL.
found profitable to treat, seed oats ;ri
thy come from field cou;ajninr mara
than three per cent Of slnut1cd heads
1t IS " fair cslinatc based on counts
made in many parts Of the Union to |
cstInntc The net guin to be obtained by
seed outs At eight per cent Of
the crop obtained. Since the aggregate