The Ordway new era., 1919-03-07
Loss by Smut
Is Vast Sum

Do you know that SHUTS" at
tacking the small grains are annually
taxes paid out by the farmers of this
county, state and our United States?
Consider the following figures for
moment
Oats smut destroyed 91,648 bush
els of oats in the United States in
1917. Butt of sinking smut of wheat
destroyed 21.s60.0OO bushels of
wheat in 1917. and the stem smut of
rye destroys over 100000 bushels of
rye annually. Colorado's annual loss
,resulting from these smuts Of small
grains amounts to considerably over
$1,000,000. Prowers county's loss
these same smuts amounts to thous-
ands of dollars each year. Had you
considered that this mass Of evidence,
in figures, represents waste which
can be prevented at a cost OF about
cents an acre plus little timer
If you are being docked when you
sell your grain, for the smut 1t con-
tains. let us appeal to you to treat
every bit of seed you plant this
spring. You cannot follow any bet
ter business principle. Use 40 per
cent formaldehyde solution. simple.
sure and inexpensive. This can be
purchased at any drug store.
Often times seed treatment is not
generally practiced because of more
or less papularnotion that seed injury
is more apt to result after treatment
This notion may he having more In
fuence in preventing the general use
of the recommended seed disinfec-
tion methods than the actual work
of treatment OF the cost. The notion
is not right as no injury will result
if the proper methods are carried out.
When treating bear in mind the fol-
lowing points: Do not dry grain too
slowly after trutting. as this may
cause injury to the seed germ. Poor
stands often claimed to be due to
treatment may be due to the use of
too little grain, or the use of seed
which originally had poor germina-
ton. Practice testing your seed be-
fore treating and then you will know
that your efforts will not be wasted
on seed that may have been no good
in the first place. Seed should be
thoroly dried after treating II to be
stored. and It is best to dry II to be
planted right away. However, II to
h. plcuted Scsore d-ying set thrt
planter to drop more, as the seed Will
be swelled somewhat.
"Smuts" on the following grains
may be controlled by the seed treat
ment: Wheat, oats. barley. rye, mil
let and sorghum. The loose "smuts"
of wheat and barley and also the
smut of corn cannot be controlled by
seed treatment
Soaking Method
Clean the grain well with a fan
mill. Dip loosely filled sacks for 10
to 20. minutes In solution of one
pint of formaldehyde in 40 gallons
of water Drain. Pile grain and
cover with sacks. soaked in the solu-
tion, for not less than and not
more than IL hours. Spread out and
dry. Until dry the seed is somewhat
swollen. II planted in this condf-
tion, the drill must be set to plant
more. DO NOT LET TREATED
SEED FREEZE OR SPRoUT. The
treated p.-ain may be kept indefi-
nitely IL thorolv dried. Storage sacks
and bins should be treated with for
maldehyde solution.
Sprinkling Method
Spread the clean grain on clean
floor, wagon bed or canvass and sprin-
kle the formaldehyde solution over
the grain as another man shovels 1t
over Use a gallon of solution to
one bushel of seed. Pile and cover
and let stand as In the soaking meth
od Dry and store in clean sacks, or
plant.
If you do not have a fan mill or
~ your grain is nos absolutely free
from smut balls. it Is almost a waste
OF time to use the soaking or sprink-
ling methods.
Open Tank Method
Pour grain loose into tub con-
tanning the formaldenyde. Stir thoro-
" and skim off the smut balls and
trash that will come to the surface.
Soak for 10 to 90 minutes or 40 to
60 for millet Drain of the solution
into another tub and cover grain for
6 to 9 hours. and dry thoroly.
II you do not have fan mill use
the cen tank method. The success
of the work depends upon the farm
ers. Where do you stand.
For fuller information write U. S.
Department of Agriculture, State
Agricultural College.