Gunnison news-champion., 1916-04-28

Keyser II gives the description Of the
disease which affects wheat, oats and
barley and because Of the fact that there
will be very large acreage of grain
sown the coming season there should be
the greatest pains takea to have the
seed in proper condition to insure q per
feet crop.
The unusually large amount of smut
in grain. especially in wheat in the
plains region during the season of 1903.
has caused very great loss to growers.
To prevent the spread Of the disease,
calls for vigorous measures by the
farmers.
There are two kinds of smut affecting
wheat, loose smut and sinking smut.
1t requires both treatment and cultur-
al methods to prevent loose smut
Both kinds Of smut are fungus dis
eases. In each case the disease gets
into the plant soon after termination
while the plant is young.
The spores Of sinking smut are car
ried almost entirely by the seed coase-
quentIy any treatment Of the seed which
kills the spores will prevent the appear
ance Of smut.
The spores Of loose smut of wheat are
also carried by the seed, but they may
also be in the soil. if wheat damaged by
loose smut occupied the land the previ-
Gus year. Treatment of the seed will
kill the loose smut spores on the seed,
but will not kill the spores in the soil.
Consequently loose smut is liable to sp-
pear where wheat follows wheat, even
though the seed may be thoroughly
treated The only way to successfully
kill the spores Of loose smut is to rotate
the crops Of the land. That is to say,
grow some crop other than wheat on
the land for at least one year.
TREATMENT oE SEED
treating seed grain to prevent smut.
Several of these have considerable merit
The cheapest, safest, most easily ap-
piled and most uniformslly successful is
the formalin treatment.
PREPARATION OF FogMALIS SOLUTION
Obtain l6-ounce lone pound) bottle
of formalin, 40 per cent strength. at the
drug store. When everyt thing is ready
for treating the seed, make up the
treating solution by carefully mir'rR
the formalin with water at the rate Of
l6-ounces Tone pound of formalin to 10
gallons of water. This would be one
ounce formalin to 2t gallons of water
TREATMENT OF THE SEED
The seed may be treated with the pre-
pared solution in one of two ways-the
sprinkling method or the dipping method.
II the sprinkling method is to be used,
prepare clean place on the floor or
ground and spread down large canvas
or muslin sheet Sprinkle the sheet
thoroughly, using a garden sprinkler.
Now place the grain to be treated upon
the sheet and sprinkle it thoroughly.
When the surface is good and moist,
shovel the grain over as concrete is
mixed until the grain is well moistened.
Now cover up the gram with sacks or
blankets and allow it to stand for at
least two hours. At the end of this
time uncover the grain and spread it
out so that it may dry thoroughly. The
terminating power is liable to be in
jured unless the grain is well dried after
treatment
The dipping method is performed by
putting the solution in barrel and then
dipping the grain held in gunny sack
into the solution, allowing it to remain
10 minutes, taking it out and permitting
it to drain until the surperfluous fluid
drains back into the barrel. After
draining. the grain is placed in pile
and covered with sacks or blankets, in
the same manner as in the sprinkling
method, and allowed to stand two hours
after which it should be thoroughly
dried before planting.
One pound of formalin to forty gal
Ions of water is sufficient to treat 2, 500
pounds of grain. Smaller amount of
grain will require about two gallons of
the solution to every 100 pounds of grain.
THE more / study the matter the