The sun., 1916-04-23
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE GARDENER

In a solution made by diluting one
pint Of 40 per cent. formaldehyde with
forty to fifty gallons Of water. for
varying lengths Of time, but usually
from five to ten minutes. or until the
seed is thoroughly wet. The strengths
Of solution recomme nded vary con-
siderably. but experiment station
workers agree pretty generally that
solution stronger than one piDt OF
formaldehyde to forty gallons OF water
Injuries the terminating power OF the
seed.
THE Usuai Method.
The method In most general use
consists Of spreading the oats 20 be
treated out on a clean barn floor and
sprinklinE them with the foimMlde-
hyde solution, diluted ut the rate OF
one pint or pound to forty gallons of
water. The oats should be shovelled
over while being sprinkled. so that
every kernel Is thoroughly coated with
the solution. After sprinkling. the
seed should be shovelled into II pile
and covered with canvas, blankets or
the cat bags, which have been first
dipped In the formaldehyde solution
and wrung o,,t. After being. covered
for four or Ave hours or over night
the seed should be spread out and
dried 30 that It will GO through the
drill.
lfit Is to be kept any length of time
Il should bc dried very thoroughly ~
that no heating or other injurious
changes will take place. When cal
, culating the amount OF seed to SOW
per acre allowance should he made
for swollen condition Of the grain
This treatment is advocated as being
very simple and effective. The ma
teria.s cost less than cent per bushe
OF seed used. Care must be used SO
! that the treated grain does not be-
/ come contaminated from spore dust II
barn. from untreated bags and from
] contaminated bins and drills, or from
any other source OF smut spores. Il
perfect results are to be secured.
Causes Of Failure.
Reports have been received that las
year there were cases where there wa,
as much as per cent Of smutted oat
in fields sown with treated seed. Th
| treatment which Is recommended IL
this years antl-oat smut campaign i
thoroughly effective.
The causes OF failure may be du
either to unclean seed or to careless
ness in treatment. This carelessnes
will permit Of contamination OF see
after 1t is treated.
Precautions.
The seed should be clean before IN
treatment Is made, AS this process wi
remove foul seeds and trash, beside
many light oats and smutted kernels
These smutted kernels when pres.I
in the treated grain may contaminat
II, because the treatment does not q
ways destroy all the spores in the 'iar
mass. Where large numbers VI thes
smuttcd kernels are present other see
should be secured for sowing. or sue
grain may he immersed. loosely in
tub Of diluted formaldehyde solution
The smutted kernels will rise 10 ,h
surface and can be skinned on.
Another cause for failure is due
carelessness IN making the treatmen n
For example. untreatcd seed about III
margin " the pile may he swept
} with the other and allowed to contain
nate it. The treated grain may bccon
contaminated by letting the sint
spores come in contact with II. TIL
may come from smut spores fioat!n
about in the air OF the barn and Sc
tling upon the grain spread out
dry. Smutted oat straw thrown ol
J for bedding gives rise to millions
spores. OR II the treated seed
placed in contaminated sacks. bins
drills II may again become inuculat'
with the smut. II is, therefore, adyi
able To treat the grain sacks by suai
z ing them in the formaldchyde de- suluti,
: for u few inmates. and the bin a.
drill can he sprayed with the solnti"
7 Little contamination VIII come from
drill that Is cleaned of other seed.
Although ii may take some time
y road about thcsc precautions il READ
c takes very little time To observe thci
9 ard the Observance OF small thin
ofteu,imcs determines failure or 81
"css. Sometimes also, the furmLld
hyde as pur, Eased is below the stan
ard ~ per cent strength. and In :.
!. case fa.lur" is likely 70 follow.
Where smut is prevalent this trea
ment will increase the crop from
To 20 per cent.
n The hest varieties uf oats for y,
d York state are twentieth century. ba
Il ner. white Russian. jeanette Swedi
" select, silver min" and storm kin
y These varieties should bc tested
u farmers in other States, II they II
/, not familiar with them.