The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1917-10-11
To Assist Farmers In
Eliminating Smut
To Reduce the Great Amount of DAM
age From Smut, Government
Is Cooperating With
Farmers.


ternoon at l O'Clock at the Court
House. This meeting will be ad
dressed by Mr.. ]. c Hawkins, of thu
Department of Agriculture who /.
working in Morrow county under thu
Extension Service of the Oregon Ag
ricultural College. Mr.. Hawkins /.
especially anxious to get in toucl
with all the farmers and place befor,
them his plan of combating the smu
evil. He has stated to us that the De
partment Of Agriculture has dem
onstrated that fully 80 per cen
of the seed wheat fails to germinatt
because Of improper treating, and tn,
government is cooperating with the
farmers to overcome this condition
In these times Of stress, when it i.
necessary to conserve the supply O,
wheat and get better results of pro
duction, the farmers should be read,
to take hold of every suggestion the
government makes to better these
conditions.
Mr.. Hawkins requests that oul
farmers bring in samples of smutty
grain, and also those who have clear
wheat are asked to bring along sam
pies. There is strong demand fol
clean seed at this time and such
wheat brings fancy premium. Mr.
Hawkins will use the samples in
making practical DEMONSTRATORS In
the proper treatment of seed grain
with formaldihyde, which is recon.
mended for smut.
AS this will be a meeting for the
purpose of disseminating informa-
ton, the farmers are requested to
ask all the questions they can think
of concerning smut, and ssould be
prepared to place before the meeting
their experience with this evil.
A meeting has been arranged for
Lexington at 1880 Saturday morn
ing, to be addressed by Mr.. Hawkins.
The following line of action, pre-
pared by H. P. Barss, botanist and
plant pathologist at O. A. C. is rec
commended. This treatment has been
thoroughly tested by the government
covering conditions in Eastern Ore
gon and farmers should preserve this
paper for future reference.
Necessity of Treatment.
The smuts and other diseases of
cereals which are carried by micro
scopic spores on the seed are so com
mon through Oregon, as we'll as else
where In the United States that crops
free from disease can not be expect
ed unless the seed is treated to kill
the disease spores before planting
Where the treatment is properly Civ
en- the crop will be practically free
from smut.
Soil Infection.
Soil infection is practically un-
known in western Oregon and Is of
little Importance in most of the Co.
lumbia Basin. Where it does occur,
it may result in a smutty wheat crop
in spite of proper seed treatment, In
regions where soil infections are fire.
quent, 1t is reported that much of the
danger from this source may be
avoided by very early or late plant
ing.
FOrmaldehyde Treating Solution.
The formaldehyde method is eff
fective, inexpensive and is the one
most commonly used. The ordinary
dilution is:
Formaldehyde (Formalin) full
strength (about 81 per cent?, pint;
water, 40 gallons.
One pint in As gallons Is sometimes
used and apparently with equal ef-
fectiveness. Two good methods o,
treating with formaldehyde are Civ
en- below.
A. Tank or Barrel Treatment.
/. Run grain through tanning mill
to remove smut balls, shrunken ker-
nels, etc.
2. Partly fill tank or barrel with
solution and put in the grain.
! For Wheat: If the seed is moi
known to be perfectly free from smut
/ balls, pour the wheat in loose, still
4 with hoe or other implement to brinl
the smut balls to the surface, ant
skim off. If seed Is known to bt
! perfectly free from smut balls, it ma,
be treated in partially filled sacks
! Soak for 80 minutes. Remove, drair
! and plant the same day or wash will
pure water and spread out to dry.
For Oats: Put oats in gunny sack'
! and soak for 20 minutes in the solu
ton. Take out, drain and plant a
once. II grain is to be kept for lat
er day, wash with pure water ant
dry thoroughly.
I For barley: Barley Is more sensi
tive to the action Of formaldehydt
than wheat or oats. Use same meth
cd as for oats but use the weaker so
luton, pint formaldehyde to As OF
so gallons of water and soak for 1(
minutes only. 1t should then be wash.
ed with pure water, drained, and If II
is not seeded shortly should be thor.
oughtly dried.
b. Sprinkling Method.
I. Run grain through tanning mill
2. Spread grain out on clean
floor or tarpaulin few inches thick
2 Sprinkle with tie / pint to 40