Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-10-06
The Anti-Smut
Convention
Annual Meeting Arouses Much Inter
est in the Matter of Solving the
Smut Problem

portant results obtained were in TO-
cusing attention upon the great loss
to the wheat grower caused by smut
and in enlisting the services of the
scientists of the w. S. c. in conduct
ing an extensive and carefully
planned investigation of the problem.
r. c. McCroskey of Garfield pre-
sided, and in his opening address said
in part:
IF the middlemen and the common
carrier should take one-half as much
above their just deserts as does the
insidious enemy, smut, the farmers
would Immediately lash themselves
and the community in general into a
great fury and organize in an attempt
to correct the outrage.
II think we do not fully realize our
loss. Most farmers with whom
have conferred claim they are not
bothered If they escape dockage,
whereas the probabilities are that
from TO Z per cent of their standing
grain is blighted. This means from
one and a half to three bushels an
acre taken from the net profits.
I'VE are assembled for the purpose
of devising ways of mitigating this
scourge. There are two ways open
for doing this.
ITO ascertain If possible from
among those who have enough inter
est in this subject to attend these
conventions, those who have been the
most successful in combating smut
and to give to the public their meth
DDS.
ITO stimulate the management of
the State College in the laudable in
tention to cooperate with the farm
ers in numberless experiments to de-
termine the most satisfactory way of
accomplishing our object"
j. S. Klemgard opened the dis
cussion with an address, in which he
said:
The principal thing / know about
smut is that it is getting worse in this
country and that none of us seem to
know a great deal about it. Some of
us raise smut and some of us raise
but little, but where one man sue
ceeds in raising clean wheat another
man fails, and where one has failed
others have succeeded.
1T is certain, too, that the major
ity of fall wheat in this part of Whit
man county is damaged by smut In
talking to local grain buyers | am in
formed that this fall from to %
per cent of the fall wheat received Is
damaged by smut
1--WE may think that If we get No. /
prices for the wheat we have No. |
wheat, even If it is slightly smutted
| have come to the conclusion that
grain buyers have adapted themselves
to this situation; that they quote you
a price actually low, springing' the
market, however, when you bring in
the finest grade of wheat-A-No. /:
There is nothing we are losing so
much money on as smut, and | be-
lieve experiments should be carried
on in practical way to eradicate this
great loss. Not only is a man locked
for smutty wheat, but he will put in
a whole year raising his wheat, and
when it comes out in the boot there
will be lot of little slim fellows.
You can tell smut as soon as the
heads come out II you do not know
1t at sight, pinch it little, and you
will know it is there.
III you wish to know whether you
are losing money on account of smut
go out into your field, and where tn.
heads stand close together reach out
and gather 100 of them in bunch.
Then count the smutty heads. If you
can find five such heads in your hun
that means per cent-very likely
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 8 per cent to one-fourth of the
crop was damaged by smut. Then if
you figure what 3 per cent Of your
crop or 25 per cent of it is worth in
money you will begin to see that if
costs money to raise smut.
Now, people must have bread,
and the Inland Empire must continue
to produce wheat to make bread
hence, this smut question is a vitalR
important one. / believe that every
farmer must put his shoulder to the
wheel, giving this matter attention
until he finds out som thing which
is of value about this question. Then
he should attend such conventions as
this and give other farmers the bene-
MT of his experience. From the sun
total of the axnariance ~ n, an,, e., .,.,,,