The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-01-10

is properly ca..eG the Jensen method.
by the repeated experiments in this
country. BESIDES those carried on by
us and plblishel in the bulletins and
reports of the Kansas experiment sta
ton. many other eXperimenters have
taken up the subject Numerous
farmers also have successfully en-
ployed this method.
The efficiency of the treatment
lies in the fact that infection
takes place by means of the smut spores
that adhere to the oat grains when
planted. They gerninate when the
oats germinate. and at once enter the
latter. In this host they complete their
development and produce fruit (the
mass OF smu), at the expense of the
nourishment wnich the oat plant was
providing for its own growth and re-
production. The smut that may be
present in the soil does not seem in any
ease to be the source of infection.
Our experiments with oats grown in
prairie SOL not previously occupied by
oats, grown also in soil to which smut
was adde,l, and again to soil heavily
manured with barnyard manure that
contained smut. uniformly corrobor.
ated the statement of the previous sen.
tence.
The details of carrying out the oper-
alton must vary with varying circuin-
stances. When two OF three large ket-
ties or boilers are available the work
can b, carried on according to the most
exacting requirements and yet with
the help of IL single assistant be per-
formed with ease. One vessel in this
case can be used in preliminary bath
lasting less than n minute. in fact but
a few seconds, designed to bring the
temperature of the basket or bag OF
seed up to nearly that of the required
limit. The seed can then be immersed
in the second vessel for twelve to four.
teen minutes. But care should be taken
to lift and replunge the vessel several
times in the first part of the operation
and shake or twirl it, thus making
sure to bring the hot water in direct
contact with every grain of seed.
The second vessel should contain
water raised to a temperature of about
13o degrees or 1873 degrees-in no case
going above 1S5 degrees, nor falling
below 13O degrees. The first vessel
should show a tempera ture OF 125 or
13O degrees. Unless the preliminary
bath is given. it is found to be some
what difficult to keep the temperature
of the water up to the required point.
If good fire is kept un ler the boiler
it will be easy to control the tempera-
ture This can be advantageously sup
plenented by adding dipperfuls Of
cold water or hot water as needed.
The immersion should continue from
fourteen to fifteen minutes When the
seed is taken from the hot water it
should be plunged into vessel of cold
water Immediately for moment. and
then at once spread out to dry. If one
is satisfied with less eXactness, a single
vessel may be used. In that case, heat
the water to 145 degrees, immerse the
oats. when the temperature will fall
rapidly: but it should not go below 100
degrees. An eight or ten-minute inn
mersion will suffice.
If steam is available, the treatment
will be much simplified- In that case,
introduce the steam into the tub or
barrel of water and bring the tempera-
ture to the desired point BY means OF
a conveniently-placed stop-cock it can
be kept to about l33 or 133 degrees. No
preliminary bath is needed. The inn
mersion should continue only fourteen
or fifteen minutes Cool the seed after
treatment and dry as mentioned above.
Any ordinary thermometer that is
known to lie nearly correct, or the ex-
tent of whose variation is known, will
suffice to determine the temperature.
It should be hung on the edge OF the
vessel with the bulb dipping below the
surface of the water.
A loosely woven basket or iron frame
with handles like a basket. covered
with ordinary wire screen, such as is
used for doors and windows, is found
to be much more satisfactory than a
coffee sack 1t should also have lid
so that when plunged below the sur
face of the water the oats will not
escape 1t is better to treat no more
than half bushel of seed at time.