Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-10-22

through a good. tanning mill with a
good wind blast to blow out all the
smut balls possible. The sacks used
to put the treated seed In should be
boiled or dipped into the formalin
solution for few minutes. Bins and
floors into which and upon which the
seed II poured should be treated with
boiling water to be sure that the seed
is not reinfected after II Is treated.
Before sowing the seed the drili
should be cleaned with boiling water.
These precautions may seem unneces-
sary but II must be remembered that
smut grains are fine dust and may
be blown everywhere.
There are three methods of treat
ing grain with formalin that we wish
to consider. For all of them use
soluticT OF one Mound OF the 40 per
cent formaline to 45 gallons of water.
DO not make it stronger than one
pound of formaline to 40 gallons OF
water or you are liable to kill much
of your wheat.
Sprinkling Process.
Spread out 8 or 10 bushels OF seed
on clean floor, sprinkle the soiu-
tion over the grain with garden
sprinkler, using about one gallon OF
water to each bushel OF grain. While
heing sprinkled the grain Is shoveled
vigorously to get the every kernel
thoroughly wetted. II Is then cov-
cred with dislnfected sacks and left
n the pile for at least two hours. m
may then be sacked up and set away
to dry. For the man who only has n
small amount of seed to tret this Is
very satisfactory method for there
Is little waste OF the solution and II
The work Is carefully done Il Is Of.
fective.
Sack Method.
Most of the farmers who use for
malin din the grain Just as Il Is done
bv the vitriol treatment The solu-
tion 45 gallons of water to one
pound of the formalin, Is placed In n
barrel provided with drain board.
Sometimes a large trough that will
hold several sacks Is used instead OF
the barrel. The sacks, each contain
ing about n bushel OF grain, are I'm
mersed In the solution for 10 min
utes. They are then set on the drain
ing board and after dripping ceases,
piled up In a narrow pile TO dry.
THERE'S perhaps one serious defect In
this and the sprinkling method, viz.
the smut balls that the tanning mill
failed to remove may be broken In
handling the grain after II IL dried.
In this way the wheat may be rein
fected.
Trcating Seed loose In Large Trough.
| Perhaps the most effective way to
treat wheat with formalIne Ia TO
\ slowly pour the seed into the solu-
tion in large trough. The trough
should be large enough 10 treat 90
or 30 bushels at once. Such a trough
may be kept by msIng II for n water
ing trough when not In use for this
purpo"e. As the wheat is gently
poured into the solution the smu,
balls, wild oats. and other trash will
float. These are Skinned of as the
wheat Is poured into the solution
This practically eliminates the nos.
sihllltv OF the seed becoming rein
fected after II has been treated by
the breaking OF the smut balls that
were not soaked long enough 10 kill
all OF the smut grains In them.
After the wheat has been I'm the so
luiion for eight or ten minutes, tho
solution ls drained OF and the wheat
thrown into heap on clean floor
where II lies for two hours covere'
with dislnfected sacks or other GOV.
ering. Inetead OF throwing the treat
ed seed into heap II may he sacked
Immediately, placed on the draining
boardh and then piled mp TO dry.
Drying the Seed.
Writers upon this subject usually
say TO leave the grain in the sack or
heap for two or more hours and then
spread II out 10 dry on q floor or can
cas- that has been cleaned with boil
Ing water. This Is much the safest
plan but under favorable conditions
the seed dries satisfactorily in the
sacks II piled so the air can get
through H. Farmers usually dry II
In this way Care must be taken 10
zee that the grain dries or II will
heat In a few days and its vitality
seriously injured. The one treating
the seed must use his own Judgment
I'm this matter for under some condi-
tions II will dry properly In thu sack
while under other conditions II Will
not. II the soil Is In condition 10
II