The Little River news., 1917-04-07
MlLLI()NB .0ATS
 LOST IN 1916
Twelve Per Gent of Crop Is De- st"oFcd By Smut-Tile Best
 Remedy Is
 EGYmaIfn.

l The plant disease survey made dur ing the last year and covering more than one-half the counties in the state shows that smut caused the loss of 12 per cent of the oat crop according to the report of J. Lee Hewitt, Plant l Pathologist with the University of Ar kansas, who says that there was little 1 disease and loss where the seed had been treated with formalin before planting.
 Ten million bushes of oats were produced in Arkansas in 1916. Twelve 1 per cent of this crop, or 100000 1 bushels were lost because of smut. 1 The average yield for the state was i 27 bushels per acre; consequently, three and one-fourth bushels per acre was the average less. With oats at 40 cents bushel, tn average farm price, $156 was the average money 1 loss per acre. By treating seed with i formalin before planting with a cost l of about two cents per acre and the work, this enormous loss to the farm CTS of the state could have been avert ed Every farmer in Arkansas should see the value of the fomalin treatment and use it before planting the 1917 crop.
 Two causes ef Leose Smut.
 Loose smut may be caused by either Of two fungi which are so similar that they may be considered as one in the treatment for smut. The loss from smut is greater than S commonly sup posed for: l. Smutty stalks are usual 1y shorter than healthy ones and not easily observed ? The boot somc- times hides the smutty heads which then appear only as immature or bar ren plants. 2. Smut ripens several days before cutting, and may blow away, leaving the snutty stalks naked and not noGeeable
 Smut is parasite plant that grows inside Of and feeds upon the oat plant. Smut robs growing cat plants of nour- ishment and weakens them, some i times so much that they cannot push their panclcs or heads cut of the sheath of the upper leaf
 Threshing Machine Agent of Infection,
 The black masses of smut, seen when the grain is ripening. consist of countless numbers of spores. When ;, the oats germinate and grow the smut spores germinate also. The tiny smut plants penetrate and enter the oat plants, growing up within. There is nothing 10 indicate their presence until the heads form. At this time the oat kernels are filled with the smut Sometimes only a part of the head is affected. A part of all of the stalks from each stool may be attack ed. The threshing machine is the wholesale agent of infection as crops practically free from smut may be- come infected by spores carried in the machine from an infected neigh boring field.
 1. Use seed oats free from smut. 2. Disinfcct all sacks, bins, etc, with formalin. 3. Treat seed oats with for malin when there is any doubt of their being free from smut One pound to forty gallons of water is the same as one ounce to two and one-half gallons. Use this strength with tae sprinkling method.
 FormaIin Treatment of Grain.
 Spread the grain in 9 layer three 10 four inches thick on a clean floor or canvas. With a watering pot, sprinkle the grain thornughlv with the mixture of forma1in and water When the grain is pretty wet all over, shovel t back and forth two CT three tmas 10 get some of the mixture on every grain Add more of tise mixture and shoVas over until tho grain is quite Wat bVt not wet enough to pack in the hand. Then shovel into a pile and cover with 1 emptY sacks. Lot stand for six to 12 hours. Spread out the grain and dry quickly and tborau6h1y, otherwise the grain may germinate which will in, jure it. Drying may be hastoned by adding air slaeEed lime l. will take about one gallon of mixture for each bushel of grain. If the grain is sowed i before thoroughly dried, allow about one peck to the bushel extra for the sWelled condition of the grain. Dc not use more or less formalin than is rec commended Do not put treated grain into old, smutty sacks, bins or any j place or receptacle not having been tTeated with formaIin.
 A. Formalin treatment is for: CD Blunt or stinking smut of wheat. (2) 1 All oak shuts. (3) Kornel smut of sorghum. (D Covered smut of bar ley. (5) Shuts of millet.
 B, Hot water treatment is for: (11 Loose smut of wheat. CD Head smut of barley.
 c. Seed treatment is useless for; CD Corn smut. CD Head hmut of sorghum.
 Pc keepers should take particular