The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1911-09-15
ANTI-SMUT CONVENTION
CALLED BY PRESIDENT
MEETING TO BE HELD IN PULL
MAN SEPTEMBER % AND 20
FOR STUDY OF KNOTTY PROB
LEM.

Another unusually bad year for
smut has reawakened interest among
the farmers for an organized effort
to find some effectual remedy for the
evil. President r. c. McCroskey of
the Anti-smut association has issued
the following call, urging every
wheat raiser to attend the next meet
ing:
In accordance with power vested
in me at our last meeting ] hereby
call the Inland Empire Anti-Smut
Association to meet in Pullman,
Wash, on the 2S and % inst. Every
one interested in the question of pre-
ventiOn of smut in grain is urgently
requested to be present and assist in
working and planning for the solu-
tiOn of this knOtty problem. Those
who for years have given their best
thought and scientific knowledge to
the solution of this question think it
is best for the wheat raisers them
selves to get together annually and
give their experiences during the
proceeding year, from notes careful
ly taken showing how their grain was
treated, when and how planted and
the results in the crop. Prof.
Waller, acting president of the
State College, will place at our dis
pOsal all the facilities for making
and publishing a report of our pro-
ceedings. Prof. Thatcher, director
of the experiment station, will be
present with such of his staff as may
be desired to answer questions, and
otherwise do our bidding, but he
thinks it will be best for the farmers
to work out the problem themselves.
1t is useless TO recount the woeful
loss from smut. Every wheat raiser
is familiar with this subject. Let
everyone therefore who needs help
come, and every one who thinks he
can give help come. Let US enter
upon ten-year campaign of cOncen-
trated action to diminish or COM
pletely prevent smut. There is un-
doubtedly way better than all other
ways to eradicate this great scourge
Let us try to find that way. If we
do not succeed we can at least find a
better way than our present method
by getting together and comparing
notes.
A program of the convention will
be published in due time
R. G. McCrOSkey,
President OF the Inland Empire Anti
Smut Association.
In discussing the matter President
McCrOskey says: ] believe it is a
conservative estimate that the Inland
Empire grain raisers lose S1,000,0O0
year from this pest. This fact gives
importance to the anti-smut cOnven-
tiOn to inaugurate definite and pro-
longed campaign TO rid this part of
the country of smut.
This has been done in North Da-
kota, where at one time the smut in
grain was as bad as it is here. but
where now it is no longer an econom-
ic problem. 1t should be stated, how
ever, that the methods employed at
North Dakota in Kidding the grain
fields of smut are not sufficient for
this section. In North Dakota they
raise spring grain and it is easier to
eradicate smut than where fall grain
is sOwn, the infection in spring being
l0SS lHdH lndJ III IU0 1d1l. Inc en-
couraging future of the anti-smut
campaign is that it is started and will
be carried on primarily by the farm
ers, the state college helping in any
way that it can.
cat the state college they are plan
ming to set man to work on the sci
entific study of the smut problem and
we hope TO settle such questions as
Does smut live over in the ground in
winter; Does the system of tillage
influence danger of smut infection,
and the effectiveness of certain new
fungicide for treating seed.
81 believe that the anti-smut con-
vention in Pullman is one of great
importance to grain growers and that
by comparing notes and relating
their experiences of failure as we'll
as of success in fighting this pest it
will be of the utmost value"