Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-03-24
Prevention Of Oats Smut.

Prevention Of Oats Smut.
The smut OF oats, which causes an
annual loss to the farmers of Wiscon-
sin, amounting in the aggregate to
many hundreds OF thousands Of dol
lars, may be entirely prevented by
treating the seed oats before sowing,
nj ~ cost for labor and materials
which need not exceed five cents per
acre Of oats sown.
Two methods Of treatment have been
been found satisfactory, These we
will call for convenience the For
malin TREATMENT and the Hot
Water treatment. " The first has the
advantage Of being the simplest, but
It requires II small cash outlay for
materials. The second requires no
materials or apparatus except what
the farmer already has, unless it is u
good thermometer.
The Formain Treatment. Soak
the seed oats one hour in u solution
of formalin, made by adding one
ounce of formalin to every 81 gallons
of water. Place the water In u barrel,
or other convenient vessel, add the
formalin to It, and pour In one and
one-half bushels of seed oats for each
81 gallons of the solution. At the end
of one hour, draw of, or pour OIL the
part of the solution that is not absorb
ed by the oats, and spread oats on
IL clean iloor to dry. They should be
shoveled over once or twice II day UNI
till dry enough to SOW.
Formalin is liquid that may be
purchased Mt drug stores. Ask for
forty per cent formain. 1t costs from
so to 60 conts por pint, and pint CON
talns IL ounces enough for about 30
bushels of seed oats. 1t is sold in
smaller quantities ut 10 cents per
ounce: If formalin Is purchased in
considerable quantities, 1t will be we'll
to have the druggist weigh out one
ounce in u small bottle, and then
mark on the bottle the height to which
the ounce reaches This bottle may
then be used ~ u measure In adding
the lormaln to the water.
Tho Hot Water Treatment consists
Ia soaking the seed 10 minutes in water
Mt temperature Of l33 Il. Heat the
water in II largo kettle, and close by,
sink n barrel In the ground to within
II foot of the top. Pour part of the
hot water into the barrel, and take the
temperature with u good thermometer.
Then add either cold or hot water,
stirring IN the mean time, until 1t
shows u temperature of lbs. Tut
about n hushcl of oats in n coarse
gunuy sack, and then tie this to one
end Of pole and rest the pole over n
post, thus making n lover, by which
the sack of oats may be easily raised
or lowered. Now dip the sack of oats
into the water in the barrel. The
water viii hc immediately cooled and
hot water must be added to keep the
temperature about In. Let one per-
son attend To the temperatures, and
another to handling the oats. Keep
the oats moving in the barrel, Take
them out ut the end of 10 minutes, dip
the sack ut once into cold water, then
spread ON clean floor To dry.
Shovel them over three times day
for u few days, when they m"y be sown
with n force drill; or in two or three
hours they may be SOMA broadcast.
As the oats absorb considerable water
it Is necessary to SOW about half Il
hushcl moro per acre than when I'M
treated seed is used. This is ON the
basis OF two and one-half bushels per
acre. Two mon in one day can treat
enough seed to SOW twenty acres.
Farmers should preserve these
directions for future use.
4. ). GorF, llortirulturist.
Agricultural Experiment Station,
Madison, Wis.