East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-01-27

Last year five threshing outfits
valued at $4,000 were destroyed by
smut fires in Umatilla county. The
prevention of smut is one of the most
important questions now before the
farmers.
Col r. c. Judson. industrial agent
OF the o. r. & n. system. has made
I special study of smut prevention
and offers the farmers Of Umatilla
county several excellent treatments
for smut, all Of which are said TO be
highly effective.
The following treatment is taken
from the bulletins of the South Da-
kots experiment station. and is highly
recommended by Col Judson. The
bulletin in part is as follows:
smut is a disease transmitted from
one generation of plants 10 another
by means Of minute spores. At thresh-
ing time the smut. which consists of
myriads of spores, is scattered through
the grain. the spore terminating the
following spring along with the young
wheat plant and. penetrating the
Young seeding lives in the interior
of the plant until it heads. At this
time the smut enters the seed. sb-
sOrbs its contents and developes a
mass OF spores. The most effective.
cheapest and handiest methods of
treating the seed wheat are the Jen-
sen hot water treatment and the for
maldehyde treatment.
Hot Water Treatment.
This method consists in immersing
the seed which is supposed 10 be in
fected with smut for few minutes in
hot water The temperature must be
such as to kill the smut spores, and
the immersion must not he prolonged
50 that the heat would injure the
germinative power Of the seed. II
the water is at a temperature OF
1872 IL degrees F., the spores will be
killed and vet the immersion. If not
continued beyond 10 minutes. will not
in the least in. .ure the seed. The
temperature must be allowed to vary
case rising higher than 1876 degrees
or falling below $50 degrees.
Formaldehyde Treatment.
Two methods of applying the for
maidehyde are in general use. sprink.
ling and dipping. both Of which have
their advantages. but the former is Il
be preferred.
Sprinkling-WindrOw or piles Of {
bushel OF seed are thoroughly satur
ated with solution made at the rate
of one pound formaldehyde to so gal
Ions of water. common garden
sprinkler may be very satisfactorily
used or even a broom. though a small
hand force pump is to be preferred
The grain should be shoveled Ovei
and thoroughly wet for at least TIVE
hours.
Dipping busheI or more Of graiI
is placed in a gunuy sack and is dip
! ped into a solution Of formaldehyde
the strength as that given above. Car
should be exercised that the grain i
= thoroughly saturated.
-. The spores that continue rust from
( one season to another live over TN
= winter in the straw and stubbIe, and
consequently. any treatment applie'
I to the seed would be useless.
: Many different remedies have beel
4 tried. but so far none have bee
2 found that are effective. The stray
should be burned soon after thresh
ing and where possible the stubbls
Some varieties Of wheat are more re
sistant to rust than others Thes
varieties should be chosen for seed.
The East Oregonian believes tn
4 farmers are interested in this subjec
and will present the most advance
: methods of preventing smut and rus
= now in use.
: Several valuable bulletins have bee
E issued by the oregon and Washing
er ton agricultural colleges upon I'll
lg subject and these viii be presente
from time to time.