The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-04-15
SMUT AND IT'S TREATMENT
County Agent fowler Submits Time
Iy Article on Plant Disease.


ly Article on Plant Disease.
All smuts are caused BY parasitic
fungi. A hundred years ago many
people supposed that they were caused
by the weather, by an unkind Prov
idence. or by some strange disordered
process within the plants themselves.
These notions were disproved long
ago.
The smut mass of any smut consists
of countless numbers of minute spores
(seeds) of the smut fungus, being in
visible unless magnified. In water
they terminate in from 6 to Y hours,
depending on the kind, by sending out
mold-like threads which, under suita-
BILE conditions, branch and grow I'M
til a network of these fungus threads
is developed. When a spore germin-
ates on the right kind of grain plant,
the smut threads enter the plant, get
their food from it, grow in it and fin
ally produce spores on it, giving the
grain the smutty appearance.
There are two smuts of Oats-the
loose and the covered-but so far as is
now known, they can be controlled in
the same way, so they are considered
together.
Formaldehyde. also sold under the
trade name of formalin,i is most widely
used on account of its cheapness and
effectiveness against the SHUTS.
There are three methods commonly
used-dipping, sprinkling and spray
ing.
Dipping method-Pour one pint of
guaranteed formaldehyde (3S to 40
per cent? into 40 gallons of water
and stir thoroughly. Put about a
bushel of grain into a sack and dip it
into the solution, lift it out. let it
drain for minute or two apd dip it
again Repeat several times to make
sure that every kernel is wet. Then
remove the sacks let the solution drain
back into the barrel and keep the
hours; or dump into a pile and cover
with a clean canvas, blanket or sacks
from two to five hours; then SOW at
once or spread out to dry. The treat
ed seed should be put on a disinfected
floor or canvas.
Sprinkling Method-Select conve-
nient place on which to spread out
the grain. A granary floor, wagon
box or canvas will answer Disinfect
with solution of one pint of formalin
to Is gallons of water. Then spread
the grain to be treated in a layer a
few inches thick on the floor and while
one person sprinkles the grain with a
solution Of one pint of formalin to 80
gallons of water, another must shovel
1t over in such way as to wet the out
side of all the grain. Other layers
may be put on, sprinkled and SHOW
eled again. Then the grain is shoveled
into a pile and covered with clean
sacking or canvas for from two to
five hours, when it may be sown or
spread out to dry. If sown right away
set the drill to SOW about one-ffth
more than you would ordinarily.
Spray Method-Select clean place
and disinfect. AS the seed is being
shoveled from one pile to another,
each shovel is sprayed with a solution
of 40 per cent formalhyde, dilute with
an equal amount of water. One quart
of the solution will treat 40 to 50 blu.
of oats. Used at this rate the seed
does not become wet. A small quart
sprayer is the most convenient to use
After the oats are treated they are
piled in heap and covered with dis
infected cloths to confine the vapor.
At the end of two to five hours they
may be uncovered and sown. Since
the formalin vapor is irritating to the
eyes, nose and throat the sprayer
should be held close to the pile while
spraying. No injury to the seed re-
suits from the treatment, in fact ger
mination is often more vigorous and
quicker.
Of the above named methods. the
sprinkling method is the most COM
mon. One pint of formaldehyde used
in any of the above methods will treat
from 40 to so bushels of grain. 1t is
necessary always to disinfect the
grain drill and everything that the
seed may come in contact with before
they are sown.
The same strength solution as used
for oats may be used for treating
seed potatoes for "scab." Use the
dipping method Put the potatoes in
sacks, allow to remain from one to
two hours, remove, let dry and cut.
One pint of formaldehyde to 80 gal
Ions of water will treat several hun
dred bushels of potatoes. The solu-
ton does not weaken, but gets stron-
ger by evaporation
Further information may be had
by consulting the county agent Too
much stress cannot be put on the i'm
portance of treating oats and potatoes.
j. A. FOWLER, County Agent.