The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1919-09-05
FARM BUREAU NOTES
Wheat Smut Control
Sinking Smut or Blunt

bunt was very general in the wheat
fields of Van Buren, County this sea-
son. Some fields were so badly in
fSrted with smut that a heavy dock
age had to be stood by the grower
when selling his grain because of the
smut. The growers who treated
their seed last fall, as general thing
had wheat that was fairly free from
smut, although many who did treat
had small percentage of smut. The
dry, concentrated formaldehyde meth
cd of treating seed wheat was used
very generally last fall and where
the seed had no smut balls in it and
a good grade of formaldehyde Gao per
cent) was used, good results were Sc
cured by this method, but mhere smut
balls were in the seed, this method
did not entirely control the smut.
The result is, it is doubtful if enough
seed wheat entirely free from smut
balls to sew the usual acreage in this
county will be available this fall.
This brings us to point where we
must take extraordinary precautions
to control smut for we have on one
hand the prospect of severe dockage
if we grow smutty wheat and on the
other hand supply of seed wheat
which is already practically all infect
ed with the smut spores. What meth
cd shall we use in attempting to con
troll wheat smut this fall? The ans
wer to this will depend upon the con-
dition of the seed wheat in question.
Where seed is entirely free from smut
balls, (be sure it is by careful exam
ination) the concentrated formalde-
hyde method, the dilute sprinkling, or
the dilute dipping method should give
good results, providing good formalin
Gao per cent volume, 36.S per cent by
weight) is used and the seed does not
become re-infected after treatment by
being placed in infected bags or sewed
through an infected drill or placed in
a soil which is infected with smut
spores.
Where seed which contains even
the smallest number OF smut balls
must be used it may not be safe to de
pend on any of the above methods, as
by any of these methods there is a
chance for the smut balls to become
broken while handling or drilling the
seed and these re-infect the seed that
has been disinfected. Where the
grower must use seed containing any
smut balls whatsoever, the writer sug
gests the soaking method of treating
seed wheat. 1t is possible to treat
seed wheat ever so carefully by any
method known at the present time
and still have smutty wheat if the dis
infected wheat is sown in infected
soil. A wheat field that had any
sinking smut in it at all this year, II
fitted for wheat may, and probably
does contain infected soil. The only
way to avoid an infected soil is to dis
continue the practice of stubbling in
wheat, in other words, by proper
crop rotation.
The different methods of treating
seed wheat to prevent smut follow.
Use the method whish is needed to
prevent smut on your own farm, de-
eide which method to use yourself,
YOU know what your seed is, you
know the history of your future
wheat field and the wheat you grow
will be your property. However,
whatever method is used, it will be
we'll to consider the following eau
tons:
Use formalin which is fresh and is
40 per cent strong. Treat carefully,
no stronger than is recommended.
Treat only as much seed as can be
planted in one day, no matter what
method of treatment is used.
For further information regarding
smut control, communicate with the
Farm Bureau Office.
Methods:
l.-Dilute-Sprinkling
Sprinkle the grain until thorough
w wet with solution of one pint OF for
maldehyde to 40 gallons of water
Cover with blankets or sacks for two
hours. Spread out thinly to dry and
sow within IL hours. Formaldehyde
treatments are necessary for crop
protection but they must be given
carefully and with scrupulous atten-
e. 4ha