Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-09-30
AarifultMral.
Wheat Smut.

Now that farmers are getting ready to
plant wheat they must not overlook the
fact that the time to prevent ravages Of
smut is when the seed is being put in
the ground. The damage to grain from
smut has been 80 serious that the United
States Department of Agriculture has
issued a special bulletin on the subject,
and it is believed that with proper effort
on the part of farmers the difficulty can
in time be eradicated or prevented to
large extent. There are two kinds Of
wheat smut, the sinking smut attacking
the kernels, while loose smut attacks
the whole heads. There are also smuts
which attack barley, corn. and other
grains, but the object at present is to
call attention to the smuts that damage
wheat. One of the surprises for the
farmer is that Of procuring apparently
clean seed, securing an excellent fall
growth of the plants and finding smut
in his field when harvesting the crop,
the entire grain crop being lessened in
value by the presence of but a small
proportion Of smut. The only way to
prevent the evil is to hold all seed under
suspicion and treat for smut before
planting.
Smut is we'll known to all farmers,
being really an enemy which has been
met for many years, but it is only within
the past ten years that it has been we'll
understood, so far as its origin each
year is concerned. SHUTS are caused
by minute parasitic fungi, the spores or
seedlike bodies of which form the black
dusky mass which takes the place of the
kernels or the entire head, The spores
being very minute are easily blown
about, often adhering to the kernel be-
fore it is planted. When such kernels
sprout the spores also terminate and
send delicate threads into the young
seedlings. These threads follow the
growth Of the plant, fill the heads as
soon as formed, and there develop a
mass of spores instead of kernels. As
the spores are so light and easily carried
by the wind. they get on the uninjured
wheat while in the field or when being
harvested, remaining thereon until car
ried to the field with the seed, there to
continue until the time arrives when the
conditions are favorable for propagation
It is Important, therefore, that oil farm
ers in q neighborhood cooperate to de-
stroy the smuts before planting in the
fall.
The kind known as "stinking" smut
can be prevented by treating the seed
with solution made by dissolving q
pound of corrosive sublimate in so gal
Ions of water and sprinkling the seed
Con the barn floor. thoroughly, every
grain being wetted. The solution is
poisonous and should be used carefully
IL the seed 10 soaked twelve hours in 4
solution of one pound of sulphate Of cop
per (bluestone) in "a gallons Of water,
and then immersed FIVE minutes in lime
water, the spores will be destroyed
The formalin treatment, which is to
soak the seed for two hours in solu-
ton of one pound of formalin to 50 gal
Ions of water, is also remedy. The
strong formalin is also poisonous and
should be used with care, Both loose
swuts aud sinking smuts are destroyed
by treating the seed to immersion for
five minutes 10 water heated to 1872 de-
grees Another treatment for loose
smut is to soak the seed "a hours in q
solution of y pounds of potassium sui
phide to 25 gallons Of water. 1t is
claimed that soaking the seed for two
hours in q solution Of eight pounds Of
potassium sulphide to 20 gallons Of
water is as effectual as longer INNER
sion in the weaker solution. II the
poisonous corrosive sublimate and for
malin are objected to, use the sulphate
of copper and potassium sulphide solu-
tons. TO dry the grain spread it on a
clean floor or on CANVAS sheets in the
sun, and stir the seed occasionally until
dry. 1t should be the rule for all dealers
in seeds to treat the wheat before sup
plying customers.