Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1905-09-23

Treatment of Seed Wheat to Prevent
Sinking Smut


smut IN the wheat crop Of 1903 calls
for extraordinary effort on the part
! OF Michigan wheat growers to prevent
a repetition OF the loss next season
1t is now well known that tins smut
is disease carried from one year TO
another ia the seed wheat. The
disease converts the kernel into a
illsmelling mass Of spores, which,
when the smuJty kernels are broken
up by the threshing machine or by
handling, attach themselves TO the
sound kernels. After affected wheat
is shown, the kernels and these spores
of smut terminate at the same time.
he smut plant grows inside the
wheat stem throughout the season.
AMI, when the crop is ripeniDg, 1t
turns the kernel in the head OF the
wheat into the we'll known smut
kernels The spread of the disease
may best be prevented by finding. if
possible, seed wheat free from smut
Ii you cannot obtain clean seed Of
your chosen variety, try the follow
ing treatment:
The first step is to clean off space
on the barn floor some ten feet square
or larger If convenient. Sweep this
area very thoroughly to remove all
spores, of smut possible.
Next buy of your druggist pound
bottle of formaiin. He may not have
this agent in stock, therefor, order it
at once that he may have il in time
for your use in September.
MIX the formalin with water In a
large barrel in the proportion OF one
pound Of formalin To four hundred
pounds Of water. This means that
the formalin should be mixed with
fifty gallons of water, enough for
thirty-tive bushels of wheat. Know
ing the proportions you can mix any
quantity desired. Be sure TO keep
the bottle Of formalin tightly and
securely corked. 1t is not danger
Gus poison but is unhealthy to take
either by the nose or mouth. Do not
mix the formalin and water until you
are ready to use them.
Thoroughly wet the floor, on which
you are To treat the wheat. with this
formalin mixture, making it good and
wet. Then spread on a layer Of the
seed wheat which you have previously
| al. IL
Will sprinkling pot 90 over the
layer Of wheat, wetting it thoroughly,
shovelling it over and resprnkling
until every kernel is wet on all sides.
Add more wheat and sprinkle or take
up the wheat already treated and put
down anew rot. Before putting the
treated wheat into bags TO carry to
the field it may lay in a pile for day,
not longer, because of the danger of
heating and the farther danger that
an excess Of the formalin may hinder
termination. Put the treated wheat
into clean bags or into bags that have
been wet with this formalin mixture.
Be careful not to stir up dust in the
barn while the treated wheat is still
exposed. The dust will DE likely TO
be made up largely OF the smut spores
which we are fighting.
Ifyou want to drill tho wheat, it is
well 10 allow it to dry either on the
barn floor treated long enough before .
hand with the formalin mixture to
allow it to bpcome thoroughly dry, or
on canvas, free from smut spores, and
spread on tie ground ia the sun. The
drill and everything else with which
the wheat comes in contact after
treatment should be free from smut
spores Or washed with the formalin
mixture.
If you cannot buy formalin at your
druggists you may try corrosive sub
Innate II you dare when you remember
that 1t Is deadly poison, and the great
est care must be taken to allow no
animal access either to the drug itself
or TO the wheat that has been treated.
Use pound of corrosive subimate to
four hundred pounds of water fifty
gallons). Dissolve the drug in three
or four gallons of hot water in a
wooden vessel. Do not allow the mix
turG 10 come IN contact with metal
Later add enough cold water to bring
the amount up to the fifty gallons.
Proceed as with the fOrmaliu mixture,
except that great care must be exercis.
ed to prevent poisoning live stock or
children.