Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-12-12
Farm Crops
Oct Smut

Farm Crops
Oat Smut
Oats IS one Of the important crops
of Fulton County, about 27G0 acres
being sown each year. 1t was
/ ,Lore, decided by the executive
! committee that county widec cam
paign should be made in treating
seed oats for smut.
/ Since there was practically nc
/ township organization, a letter was
written to the man in each township
who had been cooperating in the
Farm Bureau work, requesting that
he send in the. names and addresses
of four men in different parts of his
township who would be willing tC
have their seed oats tested for smut
! A letter was then sent to each Oh
| the men whose names were received
with return postal card, on which
the following questions were to re
answered:
as it satisfactory to you to have
an oat smut demonstration conduct
ed at your place?
How many bushels do you expect
to SOW?
/ Do you wish US to bring the for
maldehyde?"
Practically all of the cards were
returned but few later notified us
that they had the flu and different
arrangements had to be made.
A schedule of the meetings fol
each township was sent to all the
Farm Bureau members of the town.
ship a few days before the demon.
strations were to be conducted in
that township. In addition the
schedule was printed in the loca
papers.
Forty-three demonstrations were
held in the twelve townships. They
were distributed as follows: II
eight, four demonstrations were held
in three three were held; and in one
two were held.
The average attendance was 10 and
fed his intention of treating his seec
oats.
It was estimated that the seed fol
5000 acres vas treated as result
Of the campaign. Taking the low
estimate of an increase of bushels
per acre due to treatment, the in.
crease would amount to 10000 bushels
worth S9G09.O0.
] Of course, all OF the increase car
not be credited to the campaign since
doubtless some would have treated
even though the campaign had moi
been conducted
! Some follow-up work was done BY
sending each man, where a demon
stration was held, letter and a re
turn post card containing the fol
lowing questions:
WAS there any smut on your oat!
grown from treated seed?
I Did most of your neighbors trea
for smut?
! Was there smut on your neighbor'
oats grown from untreated seed?
Do you expect to treat your oat!
for smut next spying?
These letters had to be sent out a
a very busy season and only few
were answered Those answered
showed that there was no smut il
oats from treated seed and little il
cats from untreated seed this year
Every answer in regard to treat
ment next spring was in the affirma
tive. Note te:-Experience shows tina
the campaign could have been mad
more beneficial. First-By placing
more responsibility on each MAJ
whose cats were treated, to get his
neighbors out to the demonstration
Secondly taking the name and ad
dress of every man present for fol
! 'ow-up work.
S naturalization of Wheat
About $4,000 acres of wheat are
grown in Fulton County each veal
and the average yield is usually
about Il bushels per acre. The Elk
ecutive Committee of the Farm Bu
reau believed that the wheat of Full
ton County could be greatly improv.
I'd and the yield increased by grow
ing only few varieties and those Of
the highest yielding strains.
With that idea in view, Gladder
wheat was selected as the variety
to try under Fulton County condi
tions. This wheat was developed al
/ the Ohio Experiment Station anC
has averaged SO bushels per acre
] for ten years.
Last year only so bushels could b.
secured owing to the extraordinary
demand for it. The go bushels was
divided among nine farmers and tht
following yields were secured. Si1
men secured yields of from 80 Il
90 bushels per acre, two men haC
Yields of 26 and 25 bushels, respec
lively. The ninth's wheat was near
! ly drowned out and was not KEEP
separate from his own wheat.
| Arrangements wern made witt
L
hold it for a certain period for sail
to farmers in the county. A lette
was sent out to all Farm Bureau
members describing the Gladdel
wheat and recommending it as clean
pure bred, high yielding wheat ant
giving the names of the men from
whom it could be obtained. All bu
one of the growers sold it for $2o
per bushel un-cleaned.
Hessian Fly
A count of ten wheat fields !:
| different parts of the county durin
the lrst week in July showed an in
festation of about 18 per cent, an in
crease of IL per cent over last veal
September 18th was given out b
the Ohio Experiment Station and tn
! College of Agriculture as the fly FIRE
date for Fulton County.
| A letter was sent to every farnFa
in the county calling attention
the fly free date and explaining tn
reason and Importance of its obsel
vance. Several articles were pub
lished local newspapers regardin
Hossian Fly and posters we o place
in elevators, Grange Halls and store
Meetings were held in 10 iiffercr
townships at which the life histor