The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-09-20
FORMULAS FOR TREATING
COVERED SMUT OF WHEAT
USE RECOMMENDED BY MILL.
ERs DIVISION or u. s. FOOD
ADMINISTRATIONS.

Ine iolloWnS bulletin On prevention
of smut on wheat hes been issued 10
millers IN this section with the rr-
quest that the formulas given be pub.
lshed in local papers;
4 1t Is most desirable that the Farm
ers be cautioned against sowing
Wheat that has any smut contamina-
ton, without treating it. The method
is simple and inexpense. Following is
q verbatim copy Of Bulletin on the
subject by the College of Agricnl-
ture OF the State of Missouri;
Covered or Sinking Smut of Wheat.
! Wheat heads affected with cover
ed smut show the glumes or chaff
| slightly pushed apart with dark
colored grain between. The grain Is
really smut ball, which on being
crushed, breaks up into very large
number of minute Gustlike PARTICLES,
the smut spores These have very
disagreeable odor. The spores, when
the smut ball is broken, get on the
sound grain and produce infection
when the latter is planted In the soil.
To prevent smut, the spores on the
seed must be killed. All of the smut
balls must be removed, for the spores
! in these are not killed by the treat
ments, They are easily broken in
drilling operations and hence may
contaminate the seed
! Do not confuse the covered or
/ sinking smut of wheat with the loose
smut. The loose smut destroys the
| wheat head at Towering time. At liar-
! vest time only naked stalk is found,
| Loose smut cannot be controlled by
the formaldehyde or copper sulphate
| treatments.
,FormaIdehyde Treatment for Sinking
Smut of Wheat.
| The solution of formaldehyde used
1 for treating sinking smut OF wheat
| is made by using one pint or one
/ pound of commercial formalin (glar-
anteed 40 per cent solution of fer
maldehyde) to forty gallons of water.
! Use either the dipping or sprinkling
method. One gallon of solution is
sufficient to treat one bushel of grain
/ by either method.
! CAUTION-Do not put treated seed
on a smutted floor or in smutted
sacks, nor SOW with smutted drill.
! Smutted sacks should be soaked for
thirty minutes in a strong solution
made by putting one pint Of formalin
| in ten gallons OF water. Bins, cloors
and drills may be scrubbed with this
strong solution.
| !. DIPPING Take two half.bar-
! rcls or tubs with holes and plugs |lear
1.-THE bottom. Place one tub on two
saw horses and fill two-thirds full with
| the solution OF formaldehyde. Pom
| slowly into this solution one-half to
one bushel Of wheat seed, stirring
thoroughly for five to ten minutes so
] that the smut balls, trash, etc. viii
reach the surface. Skim this material
| Off, then drain the solution into the
second tub. Pour the seed into a pile
on the floor. Exchange position OF
tubs and repeat the operation. Coveg
the treated seed with sacks for four
to ten hours. Sow at once or spread
the seed out to dry
2. SPRINKLING - Remove :nut
balls, trash, etc, from the seed by
thorough tanning. Spread the seed
out on the floor or wagon bed in a
| layer four to six inches deep. Sprinkle
the solution of formaldehyde, Using
| a watering can, on the seed Sho9el
| the seed over Thoroughly so that all
the seed is moisteaed, then shovel
/ the seed into pile and cover with
sacks for four to ten hours Sow at
once or spread the seed ont to dry
Copper suIphate Treatment for Stink
ing Smut OF Wheat.
Dissolve one pound of copper sui
phate, blue vitriol or bluestone, IN
! four gallons of water. Either dip tie
seed in this solution or sprinkle, rs
ing the same methods as indicated for
the formaldehyde treatment. 1t is,
however, unnecessary to cover the
seed after treatment: instead, spread
it out at once to dry or SOW imme.
diately.