Arizona republican., 1900-10-17
CURE FOR sTINKING SMUT.
Timely Hint By the Agricultural Ex-
 pertinent Station.

The following is the latest bulletin is sued by the agricultural experiment staion of the tlritorial university:
 While walking through stubble field near Tucson about d month ago 5he writer chanced to pluck a few heads of wheat which had escaped the sickle. On attempting to thresh out the grain every kernel was found to be de- sroyed by what is commonly known as ''stinking smut" Further eXamina ton Of the straw lying on the ground re- vealed but few unsmutt heads. The foreman on the ranch reported that about one-third of the grain hay raised in this field had been smutted with this fungus for the past two years-the seed each season having been obtained from Indian sources. He reported still fur ther that the seed s1Wn had a very bad felid odor. indicating withoul much doubt. the presence of this disease.
 After making inquiries of several re- sponsible individuals regarding the prevalence. of smu.ty wheat. a Circu- lar letter was addressed u the millers of the territory, asking them for cer- tain information upon the subject. Re turns from these sources indicate that more or less smu, is offered for sale at all the mills heard from. and that the quantity varies from to 70 per cent of the total amount purchased. In one instance fully one-half of the flour ground is reported to be dark with smGc. One correspondent reports wheat t0 be injured to the extent of 50 per cent of it's value for milling purposes, while another speaks of wheat offered for sale which he refuses 10 buy at any price. The returns show still further that all but one of yhe Indian tribes in the territory invariably raise smutty wheat Our own observations regard ing crops raised from seed bought of them indicate that there are some eases in which their crops are in a very deplor30le condition indeed.
 Smut is caused by a parasitic fungus, the spores of which may Ee found in the 'hairy ends. of thr kernels of 'smutty' wheat. Thesa spores germ mate at the same time as the wheat. and send small tu0ea into the young plants. These develop and grow aTace with the wheat the entire season: but cannot be seen. except by the aid of microscope. until the berry h=2ins to form, when the fungus distorts tia kar- nel and fills it with a s.nutty mass of spores covered with d thin she'll
 When this shell is broken by thrpshing the spores are set free and cling .o tha "hairy ends" of tho healthy berries, where they are again ready to produce another crop of smut the next season.
 Thera are many plant diseases. some of them occurring in Arizona, which have Jafled every attempt of the ir- vestigayor to subdue. Some have re ceived but little attention. and it is hoped further investigation may bring them under control. These facts. how ever, do not apply to the 'slinkinS smut" of wheat fur it has been dem onstrated repeatedly that certain treatment will destroy the fungus which causes chis disease. There is. therefore, no good reason why the farmer should go on raising smutty wheat year after year when lijtl. time and patience will increase his crops and furnish him more marketable returns for his iabors.
 The remedy is simple and easily ap- piled. Any farmer can, by the expen-