Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-10-14
FOR CLEAN WHEAT"
SLOGAN OF GROWERS In The
INLAND EMPIRE AND The
NORTHWEST.
Anti-Smut Association Formed to Erad-
icate Pest - Experiments to Be
Made to Try and Locate Cause and
Treatment-Co Convention of Growers
Brought Out Pointed Remarks.

"Clean Wheat" is the slogan of
growers, millers and shippers in the
Inland Empire, where an anti-smut cru
SADIE now is under way, with every
promise that the problem will be
solved. The prevention of smut will
mean from $4,000, 900 to 100000 a
year to the farmers in eastern Wash
ington and Oregon, northern Idaho and
western Montana, where the yield for
1911 is estimated at 67OO0,00O bushels
of spring and winter wheat. State
Senator II. q. McCroskey of Garfield
is at the head of the movement and
has associated with him the heads of
agricultural colleges and rural schools
in the district.
The campaign against the smut pests
had its inception at the convention of
growers in Pullman, Wash, recently
when President McCroskey, j. NJ
Klemgard of Pullman and Professor r.
w. Thatcher of the experiment station
at the State of Washington college
were selected to arrange for a series
of cooperative experiments with a
view to locating the cause and ascer-
tanning the proper treatment. The
state experiment station will cooperate
with the growers in this work The
plan is to treat seed wheat at the sta
ton, under the direction of DR.. Hum
phreys, and send it to certain growers
who will keep a record of climatical
and soil conditions at the time of plant
ing and the percentages of smut OBJ
tanned. This data will be tabulated to
afford a working basis in Graduating
the evil.
Theories dealing with the spread of
the scourge were numerous at the con
vention. Several speakers declared it
was due probably to the substitution
of fall-sown grain for spring wheat,
though it was admitted there were in
stances Of smut in spring wheat. Most
of the delegates favored the treatment
of seed wheat with a solution of
vitriol. 1t was intimated that it might
be economically profitable to treat the
seed grain with the stronger solution
of vitriol, even if it killed a certain
percentage of the seed, provided the
proof without affecting the vitality
Other growers asserted that an exact
formula would be better.
J. M. Klemgard of Pullman, said
after declaring that the pest is spread
ing:
"If you desire to know whether you
are losing money on account of smut
go out into your field, and where the
heads stand close together reach out
and gather 100 of them in a bunch
Then count the smutty heads. If you
can find five such heads in your hun
bred that means 5 per cent of your
crop. This fall you could have scarcely
secured any bunch of 100 heads with
less than five smutted ones, and from
that up to 25-that is, from per cent
to one-fourth of the crop was dam
aged by smut. Then, if you figure
what per cent of your crop or 25 per
cent of it is worth in money, you win
begin to see that it costs money to
raise smut.
DR.. Enoch A. Bryan, president of the
State College of Washington, predicted
that the problem will be solved as a re-
suit of the occupation of the farmers
and the scientists.
II. II. Mclean of Walla Walla,
Wash, who has 80 years experience
in Washington, Oregon and several
eastern states, expressed the opinion
that if vitriOl were used in the proper
way it would kill the smut. He said
he avoided explosions of threshing
machines by the liberal use of lubricat-
ing oil and care in keeping the outfit
in perfect running order. He declared
there is no danger so long as the bear
ing boxes are cool and would not hest
tate to pull his machine into any field.
Mark w. Whitlow, who operates an
extensive wheat ranch in the Palouse
country, said:
"This year treated with 25 pounds
of vitriol to 100 bushels of wheat, and
we let the grain soak for 10 minutes
Some portions of the field were smutted
smut is in the richer and heavier land
where the straw was rankest-in
draws, for instance. I seeded at all
times, beginning in September and fin
ishing in November. In my last sow
ing, which was in stubble, there was
not much smut. 4"
Professor o. L. Waller, vice presi-
dent of the state college, and Professor
R. W. Thatcher, director of the expert
ment station, also spoke at length. The
latter said there is the question as to
how long smut will remain virile in
the ground not in contact with the
wheat kernel, and whether it will grow
in the ground. If so, what methods of
tillage are responsible for the infection
of the soili There is the question, also,
of how long a smut spore may remain
in the ground, in the air, or anywhere
in the country, in a virile form.