Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-03-26
SMUT IN WHEAT.
nv n. l.. BoLLEY.

4 NJ nEH ltlc AFilCob
also sprout, sending small fliaments
into the base OF the young wheat
plants. As the latter grow the smut
plants force their way mp through the
internal parta, invade n Young
grains. absorb the contents. ana there
produce In abundance, the spores,
which are its seed Tor the following
wear. One can raise a crop tree from
smut by killing the spores upon the
seed grain.
TREATMENT y MATERIALS.
After FIVE years investiga ion,
have no hesitsrcy in saying that
proper use OF the copper sulphate
treatment is T. oroughly effective,
very simple, inexpensive, and at pres
ant, the most satisfactory Tor the ex-
tensiye farming OF the northwest.
/. FoRMULA.-Five pounds OF cop
per sulphate to 20 gallons OF water.
Make up several barrels OF it. eau.
tion.-See that you have copper sui
phate. C Il so5, not copperas.
2. FoRMuLA.-Make up a quantity
of lime wa er; one pound OF quick
lime TO ten gallons OF water.
3. Air slack lime.
METHODS or APPLICATION
Caution No matter what method,
the i en- is to wet each grain OF wheat
all over, but, at same time, to allow
it to soak up as little OF the solution
as possible.
/. To treat in large quantities: 4.
Pile the wheat upon the floor, place q
spraying pump having a suitable hose
and spraying nozzle into tie copper
sulphate solution. spray The pile
with a strong fine spray and keep
shoveling rapidly. In this way the
wheat will become thorou- hly wet
with the slightest possible amount OF
the poison. Constant shoveliBg and
care in the spraying Is very import.
ant. b One-half hour later spray on
| some of the lime water and sho el il
over as before, or If you use air slack
I'd line, dust thoroughly with that
and shovel over.
A s~prnkiing can may be substituted
Tor the spray, but it is not nearly so
satisfactory, because n gets the so.
:ation OF evenly.
2. For wheat with lots OF smut
balls in 1t, make a wide box, u foot or
more in depth. In the middle place a
slide with a wire screen. Balance the
box upon a block near your grain bin,
I'LL n end OF IL about Iwo.thirds full
OF the solution, shovel in the grain to
be treated. Stir it with a rake Oh
other implement, i'm off the float
ing smut balls. Tilt the box so that
the solution will FL n through the
sore n. Shovel out the wheat and
dust it slightly with air Stacked lime,
or sprinkle with the lime water.
5. For small quantities: Have wire
baskets, boxes with screen bottoms,
or other perforated receptacles, dip
them into solution, fill in the wheat,
skim of the smut balls, spread out
the wheat, then proceed as in last.
Seeding. Sow all treated grain as
soon as possible. Don't wait for 1t to
get dry, shovel it up and proceed to
seed it. Most drills will work as wei
upon the { eshly wet wheat as upon
8 poorly dried lot. II The sprinklinp
and shoveling has been prope ly done
there will be no water vi ible upon
the ~heat.
Notes. The object OF using the
lime IS TO stop the poisonous action
oil the copper. Ii you can drill your
wheat at once you need not use the
in Q
Wheat should never be vet long be-
Ira ~ IA caa1al o
20 treat the amount for the day's
supply. or else keep one man at it
With proper facilities, one man can
keep many drills busy.
Ii II is wished TO keep the wheat for
a time after trea ment il shou d be
sh veled over until dry. Air Stacked
lime will help to dry it.
Proper screening of seed wheat 20
remove weed seeds and weak wheat
IS al avs in line with good economies.
A heavy blast will remove most smut
balls This cleaning should be done
before treatmeut, beca Sc some nm.
broken smut balls may not become
thoroughly saturated with the solu-
ton, and hence the spores not killed.
These may reiniect some oil tn wheat
when the balls are afterwards rup-
Iured.
DAT SMUT.
The copper sulphate method does
not do for oat smut; because the
smut spores are often lodged inside
the husks, and because the copper so.
luton is too poisonous for that grain.
The hot water treatment is the only
entirely effective one yet known. bnt
the following method gives good re.
su' ts.
Formula. Potassium suphide, liv.
ers OF sulpher." three pounds to fifty
gallons OF water.
Pile the oats and shovel in sniff.
Client o the solution to thorousblv
saturate the pile. Give it a second
~sprinkling at the end OF II hours
Leave the grain piled so as to remain
thoroughly wet for a day and right.
then Snraad 0nf RI d. ~