The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-03-27
UNCLE SAN, NJ. ID.
Specialist in Cereal Diseases

blown about by the wind. leaving th'
stalk OF the head bare.
oat smut may be prevented by 1
similar seed treatment 10 the one
given for the sinking smut OF wheat
There is not as much danger from
smut balls remaining in the treated
seed, but II any smut masses are seer
they, OF course, should be SKINNED
on and destroyed Just as In the case
OF wheat smut.
The covered smut OF barley is an
other cereal disease with an estimated
average annual loss OF two per cent
Of the crop. This smut is most no
ticeable several days after the barley
has fully headed out. The smutted
heads are darker In color than sound
heads and the kernels are composed
OF greenish-black masses of smut
These are not blown away by the
wind but remain until the grain Is
harvested and threshed, when the
smutted heads are broken up. Many
OF the smut masses are not blown out
by the threshing machine but remain
with the grain, smearing II with smut
The spores OF the smut get on to
sound seeds and are lodged in cracks
and crevices OF the seed coat until the
seed terminates in the spring. when
the young smut plant also begins to
grow inside OF the barley plant. This
smut also can be prevented by treat.
ing the seed with formalin In the same
manner as for the stinking smut OF
wheat and oat smut.
The kernel smut OF sorghum is seri
Gus in crops Of kafir, broomcorn and
the sweet sorghums (cane), particu-
larly in the arid regions OF the West
and Southwest. II is not so easily OBJ
served by the farmer as are most OF
the other grain smuts. The young
smut head takes on a gray or whitish
appearance. and as IL develops the
smut masses in the kernels become
dark brown or black. Usually smut
masses are not broken and blown
about to any extent in the field but
remain as they are formed until har-
vest and threshing time. They are
then broken up and the smut spores
get on to clean seeds, where they stay,
just as in the case of stinking smut
Of wheat, until the seed is planted and
the spores grow and infect the young
seedlings. AS in the stinking smut OF
wheat, careful seed treatment will kin
the smut spores on the outside of the
seeds. The treatment recommended
Is as follows:
Mix one pint Zone pound) OF full
strength 40 per cent. formaldehyde
with 80 gallons OF water and use this
solution in the same manner as di-
'ected for sinking smut of wheat.
The loose smut of wheat is widely
wherever wheat is grown.
rhe estimated average annual loss
S one per cent. of the crop. This
NUT is most noticeable at the head
ng time of the grain. In smutted
leads the kernels and chaff are re-
,laced by dark sooty masses, which
re soon blown away by the wind,
eaving bare stems that are usually
ot noticed at harvest time.
The smut natures and ripens its
pores when the wheat is in bloom, !
hat is, soon after heading time. The
pores do not remain inclosed by the |
haff, but are loose and are immedi-
tely blown about by the wind, fall |
n healthy wheat heads and some of |
hem get on to the young ovary or
eed of the wheat flower. Here they
erminate and send little filaments or
erm tubes into the young forming
ernels. As the kernels grow and en- ]