Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-03-17
Grain SHUTS and Their Treat
mcnt.

There are seve raj diseases injecting
our cultivated grains which are com
monty known as smuts. Diseases o
this nature are recognized by the appar
ent transformation of some parts of thu
plant into a mass of very small dark
!. colored bodies known as spores. In the
:, sinking smut OF wheat the contents O
the grain are destroyed and replaced by
brown spores. In the loose smut oi
bats and wheat not only the grain bat
many other parts OF the heads or clus,
ters are destroyed i'll this way.
These spores become lodged upon the
grain in the field or in handling and are
planted with the seed grain. When the
grain terminates the spores OF the smut
(. which are lodged on the seed grain also
terminate and penetrate the young
seeding As the grain plant grows the
smut plant grows inside of il but is not
apparent until the grain plant begins to
produce a crop of seed. The seeds or
other parts OF the plant are then
replaced by "a mass of spores.
The spores of the sinking smut of
wheat aed the smuts of oats aud barley
can be killed on the seed grain without
killing the grain thus absolutely pre-
venting the occurrence of smut in the
crop.
Many farmers IN South Dakota have
already tried some of the treatments
recommended for these smuts and have
been very successful. The few failures
reported have been shown to be due to
some carelessness in applying the treat
ment or TO the poor quality Of the
chemicals used. Ii must be understood
that corn smut and the loose smut of
wheat cannot be prevented by the seed
treatment recommended here. In fact
all experiments with seed treatment Of
corn to prevent smut have shown that
such treatment is absolutely useless.
Among the substances recommended for
the treatment of smuts are hot water.
copper sulphate (blue yitrol) mercuric
chloride (corrisiyc sublimate) and for
malin. All of these have given good
results A gas powder treatment has
been recently advertised as a p~reyenta-
tive of smut but no recommendations
can be made with regard to this treat
ment until trials have been made 10
determine its value. The formalin
treatment has seemed 10 give as good
or better results than any others recon-
mended. This is the treatment which
| recommend for use.
The formalin can be obtained of most
drug stores at a small cost. 1t is used
At the rate OF one pound of formalin to
40 or so gallons of water. From one to
TWO gallons of this mixture is required
for each bushel of seed grain to be
treated. More is required for oats and
barley than for wheat. Three methods
of application are III ommon use, viz,
hand sprinkling. soaking, and machine.
Sprinklin Spread the seed grain
upon a smooth door and sprinkle it
with tho formaiin mixture. An ordi-
~sprinkling can may be used for
this purpose. Then shovel the grain
over thoroughly until it is all wet by
the formalin. After this treatment pile
upon the floor and allow to stand for
two or three hours, not allowing any
part Of tho pile to dry during that time.
After it has stood in the pile for the
required time spread ont upon the floor
to dry. Sow as soon as dry enough to
handle or dry thoron ghly and store
away for future nse.
2 Soaking Mix the formalin solu-
lion in a barrel or vat. shovel the seed
grain loosely into sacks and place these
in the barrel or vat SO that they will be
civircly covesrd by the formaiin solu-
tion and allow to remain for one hour.
Az the expiration Of that time remove
tho barrel or vat aud spread the
grstn out 70 dry
3 Machines:-The handling and
heating Of large quantities Of seed
gram may be facilitated by the nsc OF
machine Several manalirss for this
purpose are On the market. A number
u Sool smut .machines have been sent
rs the South Dakota experiment station
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