The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1897-04-09
Shrinking Smut in Wheat.

The disease is due to the growth of
smut plants inside of the wheat plant.
Smut plants grow from germs or seeds
(the spores> as do ordinary plants.
Many thousands Of such spores are form
ed in each smut ball, and become dust
ed upon the wheat. When the wheat
terminates the spores ais sprout, send
ing small filaments into the base of the
young wheat plants. As the latter grow
the smut plants force their way up
throu III the internal parts, invade the
young grains, absorb the contents, and
there produce in abundan e, the spores,
which are its seed for the following year.
One can raise crop free from smut by
killing the spores upon the seed grain.
TREATMENTS AND MATERIALS.
After five years investigation, have
no hesitancy in saying that proper. use
of copper sulphate is thoroughly effective,
verysimple, Inexpensive, and at pres
ent, the most satisfactory for the extern
sive farming of the northwest.
!, Formula.-Five pounds of copper
sulphate to ~ gallons of water. Make
up several barrels of It. See that you
have copper sulphate (Cu SOY, not cop
peras.
2, Formula.-Make up a quantity OF
lime water; one pound of quick lime to
fen gallons Of water
8, Air slack lime.
METHODS OF APPLICATION,
Caution: No matter what method,
the idea is to wet each grain of wheat all
over, but, at the same time, to allow it
to soak up as little of the solution as pos
sible.
To treat in large quantities.-Pile the
wheat upon the floor, place a spraying
pump having suitable hose and spray
ing nozzle into the copper sulphate solu-
ton. Spray the pile with strong fine
sprap and keep shovelling rapidly. In
this way the wheat will become thorough
ly wet, with the slightest possible amount
of the poison. Constant shoveling and
care in the spraying is very importantl
One-half hour later spray on some of the
lime water and shovel it over as before,
or if you use air Stacked lime, dust thor
oughly with that and shovel over.
"a sprinkling can may be substituted
for the spray but is not nearly so salts
factory, because one gets the solution on
unevenly).
For wheat with lots of smut balls in it.
Make wide box, foot or more in
depth. Ii the middle place slide with
wire screen. Balance the box upon q
block near your grain bin, fill one end Of
it about two-thirds full of the solution,
shovel in the grain that is to be treated.
Stir it with rake or other implement,
skim off the floating smut balls. Tilt
the the box so that the solution will run
through the screen. Shovel out the
wheat and dust it slightly with air slack.
ed lime, or sprinkle with the lime water.
For small quantities.-Have wire bas.
kets, boxes with screen bottoms, or 9TH
er perforated receptacles, dip them into
the solution, fill in the wheat, skim of
the smut balls, spread out the wheat,
then proceed as in last.
Seeding. Sow all treated grain q,
soon as possible. Don't wait for it to
get dry, shovel it up and proceed to seed
it Most drills will work. upon freshly
vet wheat as upon poorly dried lot
If the sprinkling and shoveling has beer
properly done there will be no water visi
BILE upon the wheat.
+ Notes.-The object Of using til. linn,
is to stop the poisonous action oftne cop