Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-29
SEED TREATMENT WILL SAVE
MANY BUSHELS OF WHEAT.

Over three and one-half per cent of
the wheat crop and one per cent of
the rye crop is lost through smut.
Seed treatment with formaldehyde
solution is practically 100 per cent
efficient except in a few sections
where the soil is badly polluted with
smut spores.
The formaldehyde treatment costs
less than 5 cents per acre for mater
ials and labor. To this must be added
in extreme cases the cost of 20 per
cent of the seed grain, the germinat-
ing power OF which may be destroyed
because of seed injury.
In every case the entire cost of the
treatment together with possible seed
injury is much less than the value of
the increased yield which il 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 Agricul-
ture Department specialists esti-
mate that the average annual loss due
to the smuts of wheat and rye
amounts approximately to 100000
bushels This is equal to about 3l2
per cent of the entire yearly wheat
crop and is regarded as conservative
estimate, since only smutted heads
actually lost are considered The in
creased number of heads which
healthy plants would have thrown out
were not taken into account The loss
to the billion-bushel wheat crop the
Department hopes to see harvested
next year would. at 81 per cent,
amount to 35,00O.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 expensive,
and fully 95 per cent effective. The
efficiency of the treatment is. in fact,
practically 100 per cent in most of the
wheat-growing regions. The percent
age of efficiency for the country as a
hole, however, is reduced by the fact
that in large regions in the Pacific
Northwest the soil is polluted it'll smut
germs to such an extent that the eff
fects of seed treatment are negative.
Seed treatment costs not to exceed 8
cents an acre for materials and la
Dor. To this cost, however, must be
added the cost of grain, the germinat-
ing power of which may be destroyed
the most to 20 per cent In every case
the value of the wheat saved by treat
ment would amount to several times
the cost of treatment.
Statistics show that the average an
nual loss of rye from smut is about l
per considerably less than the
loss of wheat 1t is we'll 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 thorough
ly 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 ina layer or pile several inches
thick and sprinkled with solution of
formaldehyde made by mixing
pound of commercial formaldehyde
with As gallons of water An ordi-
nary sprinkling can or a spraying ma
chine is used and the grain is shovel
ed over and over until every kernel is
wet The grain is then placed in a
pile and covered it'll sacks, blankets,
or a tarpaulin for hours or over
night. 1t is then dried sufficiently TO
be run through the drill. after which
it may be sown. IL 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 skim
med off
If the grain is not to be planted inn
mediately, it must be dried sufficient
ly to prevent spelling when placed
in bins. If planted while damp and
swollen, more grain by measure must
be used TO allow for the expansion.