The Ozark spectator., 1917-02-14
MILLION BUSHELS
 OATS LOST IN 1916
Twstve Per Oswt sf Crsp fs Destroyed 0y Smut-Ths Sect Rsmedy
 10 Permatin.

Tho plant disease survey made dur ing the last year end covering more than one-half the counties in the state shows that smut caused the loss or 1a per cent of the oat crop according te the report of J. Lee Hewitt. Plant Pathologist with the University of Ar kansas, who says that there was little 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 per cent of this crop, or 1.200,0O0 bushels were lost because of smut. The average yield for the state was 27 bushels per acre; consequently, three and one-fourth bushels per acre was the average loss With oats at 40 cents a bushel tn average farm price, $156 was the average money loss per acre By treating seed with formalin before planting with cost of about two cents per acre and the work, this enormous loss to the farm
  cd, Every farmer in Arkansas should see the value of the fomalin treatment and use>it before planting the 1917 crop.
 Two Causes of Loose 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 is commonly sup posed for: 1. Smutty stalks are usual ly shorter than healthy ones and not easily observed 2 The boot some times hides the smutty heads which then appear only As immature or bar ren plants 3. Smut ripens several days before cutting. and may blow away, leaving the smutty stalks naked and not noticeable.
 Smut is a parasite plant that grows inside of and feeds upon the oat plant. Smut robs growing oat plants of nour- ishment and weakens them, some, times so much that they cannot push their panicles or heads out of the sheath of the upper leaf. Threshins 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 sermfna*e also. The tiny smut plants penetrate and enter the oat plants, growing up within. There is nothing te indicate their presence until the heads form At this time the oat kernels are filled with the smut. Sometimes oaly a part of the head is affected. A part of all of the stallu from each stool may be attack ed. The threshing machine is the wholesale agent of Infection as crops practically free from smut may be como infected by spores carried in the machine frsm a infected neigh. boring Aeld
 Ts Prevent Smut.
 1. Use seed oats free from smut 2 Disinfect all sacks, bins. etc. with fornaiin. 8. Treat seed oats with for, mana when there Is any doubt of their being free from smut One pound to forty gaaions of water Is the same as one ounce to two and one-half gallons. Use this strength with the sprinkling method
 FormaIin Treatment of Grain.
 Spread the grain in a layer three to four inches thick on a clean floor or oanvas. With watering pot. sprinkle the grain thoroughly with the mixture Of formalin and water. When the grain ts pretty wet all over. shovel it back and forth two or three times to get some of the mixture on every grain. Add more of the mixture and shovel over until the grain is quite wet but not wet enough to pack in the hand Then shovel into pile and cover with empty sacks. Let stand for six 10 12 hours. Spread out the grain and dry quickly and thoroughly, otherwise the grain may germinate which will in. jure H. Drying may be hastened by adding afr slacked lime It will take about enc gallon of mixture for each bushel of grain. If the grain is sowed before thoroughly dried. allow about one peck to the bushel extra for the swelled condition of the grain. Do not use more CT less formalin than is rec. commended. Do not put treated grain Into old, smutty sacks, bins or any place or receptacle not having been treated with formalin.
 A. Formalin treatment is for: f1) Blunt or stinking smut sf wheat. (2) All oak shuts. (3) Kernel smut of sorghum. (D Covered smut of bar. ley. (5) Smuts of millet.
 E. Hot water treatment ts for: (1) Lsose smut W wheat (2) Head smut of barley.
 C. Seed treatment is useless for. (1l Corn smut l4N Head A->..a A