Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-09-15
LOOSE SMUT OF WHEAT.
T~catment Of Seed For the Prevention of
Fnngous Disease.

Fnngous Disease.
The season just past seems to have
been unusually favorable to the devel-
opment of fungous diseases. This is es-
pecially true with reference to the loose
smut Of wheat and oats. Owing TO this
fact, numerous inquiries have come to
the station in regard to some method
for its prevention. AT present it is well
known that the loose smut of wheat and
other cereals is caused by "A minute
fungus, which lives inside its tissues,
developing its fruit or spores in the
head of the growing wheat this devel-
opment taking place at the expense of
the wheat kernels themselves The
spores as they ripen are carried by cur
rents of air TO adjoining plants, thus in
fecting the seed for the coming year, or
they are washed off by rains into the
soil, where they may also infect the
next season. crop. In this connection
it is we'll TO observe the following pre-
cautionary measures, which will miti-
gate much of the loss First that the
seed shall be taken from wheatflelds
free from smut; second. sow on soil not
previously infected with smut spores.
Since the plants are infected by this
fungus in the very early stages of their
growth it is evident that no treatment
of the plants in the field will prevent
the development of the smut; hence the
necessity of treating the seed. The ordi-
nary hot water treatment, as recon-
mended for the shrinking smut of wheat
and the loose smut of oats has not PROV
ed an efficient preventive of the loose
smut of wheat; hence it has not been
employed by the station to any extent.
A recent bulletin UNITED States depart
ment of agriculture, farmers bulletin
No. 75) by Swingle, however, prescribes
method of hot water treatment for
the loose smut of wheat, which it is
claimed has proved efficient. This meth
cd, which is to receive thorough trial
at the station this coming season, is as
follows
"The seed, inclOsed in coarse gunny
sacks or open baskets, is soaked four
hours in cold water. 1t is then removed
and allowed TO stand in the wet sacks
about four hours The inclosed seed is
then dipped in vessel containing wa
ter at 10 to 1870 degrees f., and after
a moment it is lifted allowed to drain
little and then dipped again. This OPP
Grafton should be repeated several times.
The object of this preparatory treatment
is to bring each seed Ill contact with
the warm water, and the whole time
consumed should not exceed "a minute.
The sacks of seed should then be plung
ed in water at 1872 degrees Il. for five
minutes, care being exercised in main
tanning this temperature within de-
gree or two throughout the operation,
as we'll as to keep the seed constantly
stirred. To maintain the temperature it
is necessary to have a third vessel con-
tanning boiling water, by the addition
of which TO vessel No. 2 a uniform tenn
peraturo may be maintained. The thor
mometer used should be an accurate
one.
1t has been found that quite per-
centage of the seed is killed by this
treatment; hence it is recommended
| that Cueh half more seed be used per
acre in planting William Stuart, Pur-
| due University Station, Indiana.