The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1911-09-14
Preparing Seed Wheat For Sowing.

Preparing Seed Wheat For Sowing.
We think our readers in the corn
belt will agree with us that winter
wheat, which many of them said they
could not raise at all, has proven to
be the surest crop this year, more GER
tain even than corn except where
there has been abundant rain fall.
Winter wheat, if the seed bed be prop
erly prepared, the right kind of wheat
selected, drilled in and then narrowed
in the spring, can ripen before even
as severe drouth as this year can do 1t
very serious injury. 1t has suffered
some, probably in some cases to the
extent of five or ten bushels to the acre !;
but, taking it all in all, there is less
complaint about the winter wheat crop
in the corn belt than any other.
We have given a good deal of time
and space to suggestions as to the prep
aration of the land, but perhaps have
not said enough about the preparation
of the seed for sowing. Wheat is
subject to both rust and smut. Rust
is a matter of season. This can not
be controlled. There is danger OF
rust damage, and always will be, in
a season of great heat and superabund-
ant rain fall.
There are two kinds of smut In
wheat: the loose smut and the stink
ing smut, the later usually called bunt.
Loose smut is sown with the wheat
and grows with the wheat, the spore:
being blown over the wheat field at thu
time when the wheat is in bloom
Hence the loss from it is often under
estimated. The farmer does not Oftel
visit his wheat field until he is about
ready to cut, and hence fails to SET
the amount of injury he has suffered
from smu.. The same is true of oat
and barley. He sometimes is blin'
to the damage he has suffered iron
hunt or shrinking smut; for this grow
in the grain, converts it into mas
of sinking spores, but does not great
ly change the appearance of the gria'
itself.
What now is the remedy? First &c
out your tanning mill. If you do no
have one, hire or borrow one; If yO
can not do that, buy one. Then sif
out the small grains and blow out a
far as possible all the sinking smut
This can be done, because these smut
ted grains are lighter than the aver
age grain.
Next treat your seed wheat with for
maldehyde, just as you do oats. w
don't know that formaldehyde is a
effective against loose smut of whea
as it is against the loose smut of Oat
but it is the best practical means tina
We know of to pevent loose smut
After thoroughly tanning your wheat
use only the large, we'll develope
grains for seed. Spread it out on tn
floor, and sprinkle it with the form
ain solution as recommended for tn
oats, then another of wheat, and 5
on. Be sure that the fOrmaledhyd
is pure. Get it in the original pack
age and see that it is sealed. /
pound of formaldehyde in forty gallon
or q barrel of water will treat frOr
forty to fifty bushels of wheat. Thi
will cost you but a trifle in additio
to the work. and will save you money
There is another way of certainl
killing loose smut in wheat, but W
do not regard it as practical for tn
average farmer; what is known as tn
Jensen hot water treatment. 1t wOul
not be practical except for enough I
furnish seed for the next year, an
besides, may injure the germinatio
of the wheat. Hence We do not des
cribe it. The formalin treatment
the most practical treatment for tn
farmer that We know any thing about
but before applying the treatment don
forget to Thoroughly grade your whes
and use only the larger grams.
will mean difference of from thre
to FIVE bushels per acre to your crol
if the experiments at the various e'