The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-02-26

experiment station sends Ou
the following bulletin for tn,
treatment of seed wheat con
talnlng smut:
There are several diseases injecting
our cultivated grains which are com
monty known as smuts. Diseases oj
thls nature are recognized by the
apparent nsformation of some
parts OF the plant into a mass of very
small dark colored bodies known as
spores. In the sinking smut of wheat
the contents of the grain are DESTROYED
ana replaced by brown spores. In
the loose smut of oats and wheat not
only the grain but many other parts
OF the heads or clusters are DESTROYED
In this way.
These spores become lodged upon
the grain in the field or in handling
ana are planted with the seed grain.
w men The grain terminates the spores
OF the smut which are LODGED on the
SEED grain also gerlninate and nene-
trate the young SEEDING. AZ the
grain plant grows the smut plant
grows inside of it. but it is not annar-
euC until the grain plant begins to
produce a crop of seed. The seeds
or other parts OF the plant are then
replaced by mass of spores
Ihe spores of the sinking smut of
wheat and the smuts of oats and h.n-
ley can be killed on the seed Grain
without killing the grain, thus abso-
lutely preventing the occurrence Of
smut in the crop.
Many farmers ia South Dol.
nave ALREADY tried some of the treat.
ments recommended for these snnts
and have been very successful. The
lew failures reported have been shown
70 pe que TO some carelessness in
applying the treatment or to the poor
quallty or the chemicals used. tt
must be understood that corn smut
ana the loose smut of wheat cannot
be prevented by the seed treatment
recommended here. In fact, all experi-
ments with seed treatment of corn to
prevent smut have shown that such
treatment Is absolutely useless. A.
mong the substances recome ,ded for
the treatment of smuts is hot water.
copper sulphate blue vitriol. mer.
curic chloride corrosive sublimatel
and formalin. All of these have given
good results. A gas powder treat.
nent has been recently advertised as
preventive OF smut but no recon-.
nendatlOns can be made with regard
o THIS treatment until trials have been
made to determine its value. The
treatment has seemed to give
IS good or better results than any
II the others recommended. This "a
ne treatment which | recommend for
Sc.
The formalin can be obtained of
lost drug stores at small cost.
is used at the rate of one pound of
)rmalin TO 45 or 80 gallons of water.
rom | to 2 gallons of this mixture
re required for each bushel of seed
rain to be treated. More is required
Or oats and barley than for wheat.
hree methods of application are in
Dmmon use, viz, hand sprinkling.
baking and machine.
l.. rinkling-Spread the seed
rain upon smooth floor and
it with the formalin mixture.
n ordinary sprinkling can may be
sed for this purpose. Then shovel
le grain over thoroughly until it is
II wet by the formalin. After this
eatment pile upon the floor and
low to stand for two or three hours.
OF allowing any part of the pile to
ry during that time. After it has
'ood in the pile for the req quired time
pread out upon the floor to drv.
ow as soon as dry enough to handle
r dry thoroughly and store away
Dr. future nse. ~.
z. Soaking-Mix the fOrmalin solu.
lon In barrel or vat. Shovel the
eed grain loosely into sacks and
lace these in the barrel or vat so
hat they will be entirely covered by
ne formalin solution and allow to
emain for one hour. At the expira.
ion OF that time remove from the
arrel or vat and spread the grain
ut to dry.
). Machine-The handling and
'eating of large quantities of seed
rain may be facilitated by the use of
machine. Several machines for
us purpose are on the market. One
I these, the OVENS Smut Cleaner
o. 4, has been sent to the South
,akota experiment station for trial.
ne trial demonstrated the following
lcts: In the treatment of wheat this
achlne insures the wetting of every
rain which passes through it and
lso removes smut balls and any
ther material which will float, such
wild oats, light weight grain or
ieces of straw. In the treatment of
ats and barley it insures the wetting
grain but does not remove any
,reign material.
All grain treated with the machine
r sprinkled should be allowed to
and in a pile for an hour or two
sfore being spread out to dry. II
esired to SOW the grain at once sim,
" allow it to dry sufficiently for
andling. If desired to store away
r future use dry the grain thoroughly
I'd store in sacks which have been
oroughly cleansed with boiling
ater.
1t all farmers would realize the
iciency of formalin in preventing
ese smuts of wheat, oats and barley
me OF these grains would be sowed
thout treating.
w. A. WHEELER,
BOtanist and EntomolOgist.