The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-04-13
SHUTS IN WHEAT. ETC.
The Bozeman Agricultural College
Issues a Bulletin on SHUTS in
Wheat and Oats.
The Bulletin Gives the Method Of
Treating the Grain by the Blue.
stone and Hot Water Methods.

Press bulletin No. l, Of the Montans
experiment station at Bozeman, has beer
issued by Director s. M. Emery relative
to smuts in wheat and oats.
The contents will be Of great interest
to the farmer as the bulletin treats OF
two methods Of treating the seed. The
old blue-stone, and also the hot water
method are treated on, but the
preference is given to the hot water.
The following extracts are made from
the bulletin:
Blue-StOne Treatment.
This is no doubt the simplest and
perhaps the most universal method, still
it must be admitted that it lessons in
some degree the terminating power of
the seed. A solution made by using one
pound Of blue.stone to two gallons Of
water will do the work efficiently il
the grain is thoroughly wet up. The
two gallons will be enough for eight
bushels Of wheat, a little more will be
required for the same quantity OF oats.
The solution may be made very rapidly
by using warm water and breaking blue
stone into fine particles. The most
practical way Of applying the solution is
to spread the grain on a clean floor or in
a tight wagon box and stir it constantly
while the solution is being applied, so
that every kernel is wet.
II the grain il we'll spread out after
treatment it will be ready to drill in a
few hours. Many follow the plan of
treating the grain each evening for the
next days sowing.
Hot Water Treatment.
This method consists In immersing the
seed, for a short time, in water which is
hot enough to kill the smut spores, but
it must not remain in long enough for
the heat to injure its terminating
powers.
A temperature of 1873 degrees r., is
sufficient to kill the spores and will not
damage the seed in the least, il it is not
allowed to remain in the water more
than fifteen minutes. The temperature
must vary but little from this, not fall
ing below 100 degrees nor in any case
rising above 135 degrees. The miners
ing vessel is not necessarily kept over a
lire, the proper temperature may be
regulated by adding hot or cold water
as the case may require. Where a large
quantity Of seed is to be treated the use
of a second boiler is recommended for
warming the grain preparatory to dip
ping into the scalding water. 1t may be
kept at a temperature Of 100 degrees to
l30 degrees. This %precaution will pre-
vent the sudden cooling Of the water
in the dipping tub of boiler below the
proper temperature.
A coarse gunny sack or wire basket
lined with wire netting may be used for
dipping. The grain is immersed in the
first tub only for a minute, long enough
to warm it up to near the required ten.
perature, then 1t is put into the second
tub where the temperature is main
tanned at 1873 degrees and it should
there not less than ten
nor more than fifteen minutes. 1mme-
diately after removal it should be spread
out to dry.
The same remedy will prevent loose
smut in oats, but since the spores may
lodge on the kernel under the hull as
we'll as on the outside Of the grain, a
longer immersion is necessary 10
kill them. The grain should be kept in
the hot water at least twelve minutes
and it's temperature should not fall be-
low 1873 degrees.
A bulletin will be issued by the
within the next few weeks, CIV
ing something Of the history Of smuts
and the compilation of the results Of the
various experiments that have been
made with remedies for this disease It
the different stations.
This bulletin will be sent free to all
who send thoir names and postoffice ad.
to the station.