Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1897-04-22
wheat SMUT.
Growth and Nature Discussed
In a Bulletin by Prof.
BolIey.
Smut Is a Fungus and Thrives
With the Wheat. Its
Habits.
Prevent Infection of the Seed
and Clean Wheat
Follows.

and Clean Wheat
Follows.
The state experimental station at
Fargo has recently Issued . new and
comprehensive work on the smuts OF
wheat, oats and barley and resume OF
treatment experiments for tho last three
years by Botanist H. L. Bolley. 1t 10 we'll
illustrated and worthy tho close and
careful study Of every farmer.
In order to understand tho special
disease of sinking smut which attacks
wheat it must be admitted ss . demon
strsted fact that it IS due to the growth
of minute plants, the smut fungi, within
the tissues of the grain plant; that these
fungus parasitee demand for their
growth, as do other plants. certain def
finite conditions; that the fire, powdery
dust found in the heads and grain at
harvest are the seeds Of smut plants;
that these seeds when sown send their
thread.like shoots into the young wheat
plants; and that these shoots grow on up
the stalk as the wheat grows, finally
enter the seed and produce, after des-
troying the -four, the smut spores, or
seeds. Sinking smut belongs to Q
genus Of fungus OF which twenty.nlne
species Lave been catalogned.
BY microscopical examination it 10
learned that smut is found IN the straw
in the greatest abundance as the head
of the grain is approached. In answer
to the question, does smut Affect other
strsws than those in which it appears 10
the head. studies were made Of strsws
which bore sound heads, but grew upon
stools that also bore smutted heads.
The results were found to be that in no
case IN which smutted head appeared
upon stool were the straws OF that
stool free from the fungus. The smut
fungus filaments were found in the straw
but did not reach the head.
Tests with treated and untreated seed
showed coDcluslvely that straw in the
trested plots was quite uniformly
stronger and taller than that grown from
untrealed seed, only exceptional stools
from the untreated seed reaching the
normal height of straw from treated
seed. It was hard to find straws free
from the fungus and hardly stool was
uninfected.
Does sinking smut result in etunting
the growth of the straw and the forma.
ton of the heads, is question Prof.
Bolley answers by stating that the
stools which bear smutted heads aver
age shorter than straws from perfectly
treated seed. On stools bearing
smutted beads there are often several
unheaded straws. Investigation OF these
shows that in the upper regions OF the
STRAW the smut fungus has very often be-
come an abundant growth. using up the
entire food creating area of the straw un-
der the lines of thebreathing pores. With.
cred and stunted straws that at maturity
were but FIVE to ten inches IN height
we're thoroughly invaded with the fun
gus. The young plants may be 80 in
fected as to die back to the ground. 1t
was thought this might explain the yell
low and stunted stools prevalent in the
'96 wheat crop, hut microscopic study OF
large numbers OF stools failed to indicate
smut was the general cause. 1t was due
to combination of conditions lnclud-
ing the attack of fly similar to the
Hesslan fly and heavy attacks OF leaf
rust with poor soil conditions. 1t is the
opinion OF Prof. Bolley that smut will
seldom be sufficient to,prevent grain from
sending up comparatively mature straws.
The chief damage done is in the flour
period OF growth previous to and dur
ing the formation Of the heads.
Is smut found in matured wheat
grains? It ID quite common to note that
smut ball is made up entirely of smut
while the rest of the grain appears sound,
though very often much shrivelled, and
sometimes having Rgreenlsh or olive
tlnge. Millers generally claim that
-four made from smutted crop is never
as strong or OF as high quality as that
from an unsmutted crop. even though
the smutted grain is cleaned as thor
ouRhly as possible. The so-called wash
ing process has not yet attained success.
Careful study has disclosed the fact that
no smut filaments can be found IN q
grain which has formed starch. There
are no grains which are made partially
Of smut and partial Of flour. Tho thread.
like smut shoots either get into the
young wheat grains before the time that
they begin to harden BY tho formation
Of starch, or they never pass st oil. The
character Of the -four is not injured BY