Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-08-28
SEED TREATMENT WILL SAVE
MILLIONS OF BUSHELS OF
WHEAT AND RYE
From the U. s. Dept. of Agriculture

From the q. s. Dept. of Agriculture.
The Care for Seed Treatment
Over 319 per cent of the {"
wheat crop and 4 per cent of
the rye crop is lost through
smut. =
Seed treatment with formal
dehyde solution is practically
100 per cent efficient, except in
few sections where the soil 9
is badly polluted with smut :
spores.
The formaldehyde treatment
costs less than cents per acre >
for materials and labor. To
this must be added in extreme
cases the cost of 20 per cent OF $
the seed grain, the terminating
power of which may be de- =
stroyed because of seed injury. 3
In every case the entire cost =
of the treatment together with >
possible seed injury is much >
less than the value of the in >
. creased yield which it assures. =
. =
Now that, because of world short
age, every bushel of wheat and rye
counts for more than ever before, the
safeguarding of the next crops of
these grains against disease by the
treatment of seed before planting is
of greatest Importance, says the
United States Department of Ag-i-
culture. Department specialists esti-
mate that the average annual loss due
to smuts of wheat and rye amounts
approximately to 27,500,000 bushels.
This is equal to about 31s per cent
of the entire yearly wheat crop and
is regarded as conservative esti-
mate, since only smutted heads ac-
tually lost are considered. The in
creased number of heads which
healthy plants would have thrown out
were not taken into consideration.
The loss to the billion -bushel wheat
crop the department hopes to see har-
vested next year would, at 31h per
cent, amount to 35,000,000 bushels.
With wheat selling at 81 bushel this
would amount to an exceedingly high
tax on the farmers of the country.
Treatment of Seed
Treatment of wheat against stink
ing smut is fairly easy, not. expen-
sive, and fully 95 per cent effective.
Tho efficiency of the treatment Is, in
fact, practically 100 per cent in most
OF the wheat growing regions. The
percentage of efficiency for the coun-
try as whole, however, is reduced
by the fact that in large regions in
the Pacific northwest the soil is pol
luted with smut germs to such an ex-
tent that the effects of seed treatment
are negative. Seed treatment costs
not to exceed cents an acre for ma
terials and labor. To this cost, how
ever must be added the cost of grain,
the terminating power of which may
be destroyed by the treatment. This
amounts at the most to 20 per cent.
In every case the value of the wheat
saved by treatment would amount to
several times the cost of treatment.
Statistics show that the average an
nual loss of rye from smut is about
1 per cent-considerabl less than the
loss of wheat. 1t is well worth while,
however, to treat rye seed also.
Method of Treating Seed
Several methods of treating seed for
the destruction of smut spores are in
use, but the best, it is believed, is the
formaldehyde treatment The grain
should first be cleaned thoroughly
with a tanning mill so that smut balls,
shriveled grain, chaff, etc., will be
removed. After the grain is clean it
may be spread on a floor or tar
paulin in a layer or pile several inch
es thick, and sprinkled with a solu-
tion of formaldehyde made by mixing
l pound of commercial formaldehyde
with As gallons of water. An ordin-
ary sprinkling can or a spraying ma
chine is used and the grain is shov-
eled over and over until every kerr
mel is wet. The grain is then placed
in a pile and covered with sacks,
blankets, or a tarpaulin for 2 hours
or over night. 1t is then dried suffi-
ciently to be run through the drill, af-
ter which it may be sown. If the grain
is not passed through a tanning mill
it should be placed in vat or tank
of the formaldehyde solution instead
of being sprinkled. The smut balls
will rise to the surface and may be
SKINNED off.
If the grain is not to be planted
Immediately, it must be dried suff1-
ciently to prevent spelling when
placed in bins. If planted while damp
and swollen, more grain by measure
must be used to allow for the expan-
sion