East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-09-21
How to Prevent
Smut In Wheat

During the past season a great deal
of smut has developed in the wheat
crop. which has caused serious loss
to the growers. + not only causes
loss in yield but also in the selling
price II is safe to say that the grow
er Of sInutty wheat does not receive
over half the profit from It that
could come from clean wheat.
BY carefully looking ever the wheat
field at maturing time. heads may be
found which have been entirely de-
stroyed The wheat kernels have be-
come nothing moreSthan a black mass
Of spores When the crop Is thresh-
ed many Of these spores cling to the
grain and are carried back TO the
wheat field at seeding time. Soon
after the wheat kernel germinates the
smut spores also germinate. The ger
minated spore or fungus develops a
thread-l.ke structure which enters
the wheat plant. This does not appear
10 damage the wheat plant very much
during its growing period, but it Is
there, ready for work, as soon as the
wheat heads appear.
There are two kinds Of ;ghea: smut,
loose smut and sinking smut. Both
can be prevented by treating the seed
and rotating the crops. The spores Of
both kinds Of smut are carried by the
seed. but the spores Of loose smut
may also be Carried in the soil from
one year to another. Treating the
seed prevents sinking smut, but loose
smut may also be carried in the soil
from one year to another. Treating
the seed prevents sinking smut but
loose smut requires that the seed be
treated and that the ground on which
Il grew be planted 10 another crop
the following year. The stinking smut
IS the kind most commonly found; IL
destroys the kernels only, while the
loose smut destroys the grain and
chat entirely and the sooty mass OF
spores remain. The sinking smut
gives off an offensive odors when
broken.
The following "formalin treatment
win prevent stinking smut in wheat
also the smuts which commonly af-
feet barley and oats:
Formalin Treatment-There are
several methods Of treatment: Hot
water treatment, blue stone treatment
and formslin treatment. the last OF
which is safest, most reliable and the
cheapest.
Secure a 40 per cent solution OF Tor
nnalin at a reliable drug store. One
pound of formalin Is sufficient to
treat from 1000 to $500 pounds of
wheat. Before mixing the solution,
get the seed wheat ready. The treat
ing solution is made by carefully mix
ing one-pound bottle Of formalin
with forty gallons Of water.
The seed may be treated by dipping
or sprinkling. To dip, the seed may
be placed on a gunny sack and the So
luton In a barrel or tank. The wheat
should be immersed in this for at least
ten minutes and then taken out and
allowed TO drain back into the barrel
for a short time. The wheat should
then be emptied into a pile in clean
place and covered with sacks OF blan-
kets for two hours, after which II
should be thoroughly died before
sowing.
To sprinkle. prepare a clean place
on a canvas or smooth floor. Thor
oughly sprinkle the spread-out wheat
and at the same time shovel Il over.
Continue to sprinkle and shovel over
the wheat until II is thoroughly mols-
tened Next. shovel the wheat into
n pile and cover with sacks or blan-
kets for fully two hours, after
which II should be thoroughly dried
before sowing. Do not allow the
wheat TO remain wet too long after