Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-10-06

to run a threshing machine, and the
insurance companies are beginning tc
realize that there is risk; in fact
but few companies now insure
threshing machines. Too many oil
them blow up, and so far as know
there is no way of keeping machine
from being blown up when the smut
is very bad and the other conditions
whatever they are, are favorable fol
explosions.
President E. A. Bryan, Sam Glas
gov of Spokane and j. G.. Lawrence
made interesting addresses, which
will be published at some future
date. Professor Waller suggested
that samples of clean and smutty
wheat be furnished each public
school in the grain producing sec
tions of the state, for the children to
compare and study. The suggestion
was favorably received and the fol-
lOWlllS IcSOiuIlOu duOptCus
Resolved, That the committee on
experimentation appeal to the state
superintendent of public instruction,
and to the county superintendent, to
aid through the public schools the
campaign against smut in the grain
growing counties.
Prof. Thatcher, director of the Elk
pertinent Station, urged the impor-
lance of cooperation between the
farmers, saying in part:
From the point of view of the
college. the work of Graduating smut
is partly experimental and partly ed
ucational 1t is a question of find
ing out what is to be done, then get
ting everybody to do it. At the col
lege we can experiment ourselves
and can collect experience and learn
from the experience of others. But
we cannot compel the farmers to put
the results of our observations and
experiments into practice.
II think that suggestion made by
organized bodies of farmers, such as
this, with reference to combating
smut, are more apt to be followed by
farmers in general than suggestions
which come from us as experiment
station and college men. We are
willing and anxious, however, to ada
in every possible way to the strength
of the movement. We look upon it
as an important movement, and are
sure that with all persons concerned
working together in harmony the
problem will be solved.
I'VE believe at the State College
that the most effective and the final
solution lies with the farmers them
selves in a statewide campaign of
opposition to smut and determination
to get rid of it. 1t is utterly impos-
slble for the college to get rid of it.
The whole solution of the matter,
when the proper methods are found,
lies with the farmers in the applica-
ton of the methods; so your purpose
is two-fold-finding the method, then
using it yourself, and getting your
neighbor to use it.
I'm the matter of experimentation
there are certain definite phases of
the general problem which | think
we ought to undertake. First of all,
there is the question of certain types
which are susceptible to smut. Every
practical farmer knows that there
are such yarieties-at least, it seems
that they are. Now, if we can find
out why the club varieties are sus-
ceptible to smut-as they appear to
be--possibly we could control sus-
ceptibility in the little club
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 infec-
ton of the soil? There is the ques-
ton, also, of how long a smut spore
may remain in the ground, in the air,
or anywhere in the country, in a vir-
lie form. In other words, if we could
determine that the smut would not
live over one season, then we could
advise rotation systems which would
destroy the infection.
Then there is the question of
whether smut in the smut ball is ca
pable of outstanding ordinary
methods of treatment and later be-
coming source of infection, and the
problem of whether or not the smut
spore will grow and terminate with
out the wheat plant, or host. There
are other problems, with which will
not weary you, and which we think
we ought to know. We stand ready
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