Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-04-04
Madison, April l.

tried and found wanting, Professor K.
A Moore of the department CT
agronomy Of the university has solved
the barIeysmut probIem-one which
has baffied some Of the most prOmi-
nent agronomists and been source
of worry aid loss to farmers, not only
in Wisconsin, but in every barley
growing state in the union. BY what
is known as the modified Swingla hot
water treatment it has been found
that the smut in barley can be eradi-
Gated.
Experiments In this treatment OF
the grain were carried on in smsul
way last year and worked out SO sat
isfaCtOrily that Professor Moore has
every confidence in it's ability To wipe
out this evil. This year more extern
siye tests will be made in that rhe
members Of the experiment association
will carry on several hundred investi-
cations, held in almost every barley
growing county in the state and Will
make a report Of their success Or
otherwise to the agricultural depart
ment. Along these lines, Professor
Moore has sent out circular letters to
each member of the association, re-
guessing assistance in the experiment.
Barley smut is thing which has
given the farmers Of Wisconsin an
infinite amount Of trouble and which
has also occasiOned them large losses
each year. Wisconsin is the third
largest barley growing state in the
country, producing annually 15,000,0OO
bushels, California and Minnesota be-
ing the only two states that Outrank
it. or this amount, it has been COZ
servatiVely estimated that at least I
per cent. IS destroyed each year by
this disease. This represents loss,
estimated in money value, Of close to
half a million dollars If this amount
can be saved, and Professor Moore
says it can, through the proper treat
ment of the seed grain, then some
idea of the Importance of his disCCV
cry to grain growers can be obtained.
For five years experiments have
been going on at the Wisconsin sta
ton for the eradication of the loose
smut of barley, but the new method
was not discovered until last season.
Barley is affected by two varieties of
smut-the loose and the close, the
former beirg the most prevalent and
the hardest to eradicate. The loose
smut is noticeable as soon as the bar
ley begins to head the little black
heads will be seen pushing out from
the sheath in which they are enclosed.
For several days a black smutty mass
is noticeable, completely destroying
the spike and waiting it's spores onto
good heads of barley at time when
It can penetrate the seed where it
finds Judgement. A few days after
the smut makes its first appearance
it will have been ripened and be watt
ed by the wind to begin it's deadly
work which begins the year following
after the seed affected is planted AM
nothing will be noticeable except the
slightly blackened tip of the barley
plant where the spike should be.
Barley is less contaminated than are
oats, but the smut increased from
year to year and experiments were
started at the station to put it under
control The fOrmaldehyde treat
ment which had been found effective
in the treatment Of Oats-pOurinS one
pint of formaldehye into cask cen
tanning twenty gallons of water and
submerging the grain into it--faileI
utterly to give any results Tests
IL -
crop, the seed of which had been
treated, showed very little benefit
from the treatment. Tests were like
wise made by the members of the
association throughout the state but
with the same result-the closed smut
would respond to the formaldehyde
treatment but the loose would not.
The treatment that proved success
full in graduating the smut is familiar
ly known as the Jensen hot water
treatment. This method of treatment
was discovered by Professor c.. f.
Jensen of Denmark in 1883. and was
further tested and modified by w. F.
Swingle Of the United States depart
ment of agriculture in 1898. The
treatment used at the experiment sta
ton was a modification of the Swingle
method. The barley was placed in
gunny sacks and submerged for u
hours in cold water for the purpose of
sOftening the hull and the berry; it
was then pulled from the sack and left
to dry and then submerged in a cask
containing hot water. held at A con-
slant temperature of $50 degrees
Fahrenheit for ten minutes By
having boiling water in a kettle or
tanv near at hand the temperature
was regulated. 1t was found to be
Well to warm the barley before plac-
ing it in the water heated to $50 de
grees Fahrenheit by previously sub-
merging it in water at a slightly low
er temperature. The seed was then
spread out upon the barn floor to
cool before using. 1t was found ad-
visable to SOW the seed net later than
the day following the treatment, other
wise it tended to sprout and difficulty
would be experienced in getting it
through the seeder or drill.
Solved Oat Smut Problem.
Professor Moore also solved the
question of oat smut some years ago
T-o,,, 1908 tn 1908 extensive taSfS