The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1896-03-27
SMUT IN WHEAT.
BY II. l.. EOLLET.


smut plants inside OF the wheat plant
Smut plants grow from germs, or
seeds, 1.-THE spores as do ordinary
plants. Many thousands such spores
are formed in each smut ball. aud be.
come busted upon the wheat grains.
When he wheat germanates the spores
also sprout, sending small filiaments
into the base Of the young wheat
plants. As the latter grow the smut
plants force their way up through the
internal parte, invade the Young
grains. absorb the contents. and there
produce IN abundance, the spores,
which are it's seed for the following
year. One can raise a crop free from
smut by killing the spores upon the
SEED grain.
TREATMENT AND MATERIALS.
After FIVE years investica' ion,
have no hesitancy in saying that
proper use of the copper sulphate
treatment is thoroughly effective,
very simple, inexpensive, and at pres
ent. the most satisiact ory for the ex-
tensive farming OF the northwest.
l. FORMULA Five pounds Of cop
per sulphate to 20 gallons OF water
Make up several barrels Of it. Cau-
tion.-See that you have copper sui
phat-, so4, not copperas.
2. FoRMULA.-Make up a quantity
OF lime wa er, one pound OF quick
lime to ten gallons OF water.
g. AIR slack llmp
METHODS or APPLICATION
Caution No matter what method,
the lea is to wet each grain OF wheat
III over, but, at same time. to allow
it to soak up as little OF the solution
as possible.
l. TO treat in large quantities.: A.
Pile the wheat upon the floor, place
spraying pump having suitable hose
and spraying nozzle into tie copper
sulphate solution. spray the pile
with n strong fine spray and keep
shoveling rapidly. In this way the
wheat will become thorous hly wet
with the slightest possible amount OF
the poison. Constant shoveling and
care IN the spraying Is very import
ant. b One half hour later spray on
some OF the lime water and sho, el it.
over As before, or II you use air slack
I'd lime, dust thoroughly with that
| and shovel over.
A sprinkllngcan may be substituted
or the spray, but it Is not nearly SO
satisfactory, because one gets the SO
,ution or evenly.
I ENnr with lntS nf Sp,,,t
| balls in it, make wide box, foot or
more in depth. In the middle place a
1 slide with a wire screen. Balance the
box upon a block near your grain bin.
| ill one end OF it about TWO thirds full
| Of the solution, shovel in the grain to
De treated. Stir it with a rake or
! other implement, sim Off the float
| ng smnt balls. Tilt the box so that
| the solution will ru II through the
screen. Shovel out the wheat and
| lust it slightly with air Stacked lime,
| Or sprinkle with the lime water
s. For small quantities: Have wire
baskets, boxes with screen bottoms,
Or other perforated receipt acles, dip
| chem into solution, fiji in the wheat,
| skim of the smut balls, spread out
| he wheat, then proceed AS IN last.
Seeding Sow all treated grain as
soon as possible Don't wait for 1t to
| get dry, shovel 1t up and proceed to
seed it. Most drills will WORK as well
lpon the eshly wet wheat as upon
, poorly dried lot. II he sprnkling
and shovellng has been prope ~ done
there will be no water visible upon
The ~heat.
~, Nt ~
ime is to stop the poisonous action
Of the copl er. II you can drill your
wheat at once you need not use the
III
Nneat should never be vet long be-
ore it Is seeded. Aim each morning
10 treat the amount for the days
supply. or else keep one man at it
With proper facilities, one man can
keep many drills busy.
Il it is wished to keep the wheat for
time after trea ment it shou be
shDveled over until dry. Air Stacked
ime will help to dry it.
Proper screening OF seed wheat to
remove weed seeds and weak wheat
is ala ays in line with good economics.
A heavy blast will remove most smut
balls This cleaning should be done
before treatment, because some un-
broke en- smut balls may not become
thoroughly saturated with the solu-
ton, and hence the spores not killed.
These may reiniect some OF the wheat
when the balls are afterwards rup-
tured.
0AT SMUT.
The copper sulphate method does
not do for oat smut; because the