Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-04-24
0AT SMUT
Losses in Maine and
Preventative Methods
Statement from che Maine Expert.
ment Station, Giving Results OF Va.
rious Plans of Control and Extsr-
mination of the Disease

ment Station, Giving Results Of Va.
rious Plans of Control and Extsr.
mination Of the Disease
Orono, Me-, April 23.-The following
was issued today by Charles u.
Woods, director Of the Maine Agrt-
cultural Experiment Station At the
University of Maine:
Apparently Maine farmers are not
fully aware of the losses caused by
oat smut, nor of the ease with which
this disease can be prevented. In the
summer Of 1918 the pathologist in
charge of the cereal disease investi-
cations Of the Bureau of Plant IN
dustry at Washington conducted a
cereal disease survey in this State.
He has very kindly placed the rec
ords obtained from this survey in the
hands of the Maine Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station.
Since there might be some differ
enee in methods of handling the sta
tistics it is only fair to state that the
data given below were compiled from
these original records by the Station:
For example the average amount OF
smut for the oat fields OF given
town or county, or for the state as q
whole might. be obtained by adding
the amounts recorded for each field
and dividing by the number OF fields.
This would be accurate II the fields
were all Of the same size. but where
the size of the fields vary from one
seemed to the writer that the only
fair method is to calculate the av-
erage on the basis of the number Of
acres examined in a given section.
and not upon the basis OF the num-
Der Of fields examined. Therefore
the data given below are expressed
on the acre average basis.
Records were made in every coun-
ty in Maine and in nearly 60 differ
ent towns. The number made per
county varied from fields with
total Of acres in Cumberland to 80
fields containing 5S7 acres in Aroos-
took. The total for the State was 200
fields and 1851 acres. According to
the Bureau of Crop Estimates the oat
acreage of Maine for 1918 was 100000.
These records, then, cover about
three fourths Of one per cent Of all
Of the oats planted in the State last
season. While this percentage may
seem small it is believed that the
records are so scattered that they
reasonably represent the condition of
the fields Of the State as whole as
regards oat smut. They certainly
contain more representative and re-
liable data than any previously OBJ
tanned.
Since a smutted head of grain is a
total loss. this is case where per
cent of disease is a fairly accurate
measurement of the per cent of loss
from the disease. The average
amount of oat smut for the State was
&c per cent. The Bureau of Crop
Estimates gives Names total oat crop
for 1918 to be 6.760. 900 bushels. This,
then. is 97.4 per cent of the yield OBJ
tainable if smut had not been pres
ent. In other words. even though the
average per cent is small, the total
loss is about 10000 bushels. Even
! at SO cents per bushel this amounts
to 800, 900 90, so it is safe to estimate
that cat smut alone costs Maine farm
ers over 500, 100000 in 1918.
Individual losses in certain cases
were much greater than this however.
OF the 1851 acres examined 1872 acres
were recorded as having over 5 per
cent, and e. Of these had over 10 per
cent. Fields were found which
showed as high as Is per cent. Where
one bushel in % or. one in 10 or bet
ter is given to the smut fungus the
profits from oat growing must be
materially reduced.
Dat smut can be easily and cheaply
prevented by seed treatment. yet out
of the 1851 acres examined only 81
acres were reported as planted with
treated seed. With on. exception
a field of 6 acres with I per cent of
smut-all Of these fields were smut
free. No data are at hand as to how
the seed was treated or was handled
after treatment, where the single
failure occurred.
Regarding seed treatment for smut,
one of Names leading oat growers
a practical farmer who has taken
show-says: "Formaldehyde treat
ment is simple inexpensive method.
requiring no special precautions. The
smut spores do not carry over in the
soil but on the seed, which can be
treated at an expense Of three cents
per bushel. Immerse bag Of oats
for twenty minutes in barrel con-
tanning one pint of commercial for
maldehyde Gao per cent) to forty gall
Ions Of water. Arrange blocks and
pulley to draw the bag up over the
barrel to drain, then put In another
bag. After twenty minutes spread
the first on the floor to dry and draw
up the second bag. so on till I'LL are
treated. Stir the oats oe casionalIy
that they may dry evenly and be
ready to sow the next day." In dry
ing the treated seed it should not be
placed where it might come in con-
tact with smut spores scattered from
Raj RRFATH