The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-09-27
TELLS FARMERS HOW
TO PREVENT SMUT
orAN1sT HIGGINS OF GEOR-
~ "a EXPERIMENT STATION
GAYS USE FORMALIN.

The time is approaching when the
,srs OF Terrell county and the re-
ia, a;nder OF south Georgia will plant
i, p.;r oat and wheat crops, and the fol-
' ,n timely advice and information
~ The News by Mr., B. B. Higgins,
~ the Georgia Experiment Station,
y. +be benefit of those who will plant
-, is interesting and valuable:
To Insure Increased Yield.
The advent of the cotton boil Wee
= N destructive numbers is forcing
W. farmers of Georgia to turn from
.t+on to a more generalized type of
lining Reports indicate a further
,,ua increase in the acreage to be
@ a,5n TO small grain this fall. To grow
y sIese crops in competition with that
4 IN y grain growing sections Of the coun-
the farmers of this state cannot
o4ord to neglect any factor or prac-
a ':.o which will increase the yield.
Smut is practically always present
:. oats and wheat from untreated seed,
the damage varying from | per cent
~ as high as 80 per cent with an aver
sgp OF about per cent. Since this loss
a a9n he entirely eliminated by simple
netbod of seed treatment no one can
s4ord to neglect this practice.
The treatment in most common use
consists in dipping the seed for two
borrs in a solution made by dissolv-
mo one pint of commercial formalin
IN 40 gallons of water Remove the
Grain from solution, drain and keep
Sovered five hours, then spread out and
dry over night In practice the grain
IN bags may be dipped into the solu
ton and removed, and after draining,
nIed together for five hours, then
ooured out to dry.
Methods Highly Recommended.
Recently more rapid and otherwise
more satisfactory methods have been
worked out and highly recommended
where tried
In one of these, devised and tested
ii the Arlington Farm OF the United
tates department of agriculture, the
grain is given a preliminary soaking.
is dipped in pure water ten minutes,
billed and kept moist for six hours,
hen dipped for ten minutes i'll the
gmalin solution as above, again piled
Ind kept moist six hours, and then
bread out to dry over night. The
re-soaking allows more rapid use of
small amount Of formalin solution
BAD greatly lessons the danger of in
Fury to the seed.
In both these methods the grain is
Tolen and the amount sown per acre
bust therefore be increased about rs
er cent. -~' @aa
A method of dry" treatment has
Fcently been highly recommended in
britain grain growing regions.
One pint of commercial formalin
mixed with one pint of water and
ut into an ordinary small one-quart
prayer This solution is sprayed onto
he grain as it is shoveled into pile.
he quart OF solution is sufficient for
bushels OF grain The sprayed pile
then covered for five hours, in order
hold the formaldehyde gas and al
E it to act. The grain is dry and
ady to sow at the end of the treat
et and is not swollen as in the soak
ethods The gas from the solution
II irrtate the nose and throat of the
Orkman unless the treatment is done
open air
Either of the three methods will
Re good results and the individual
by feel safe in choosing the method
a suited to his own conditions.
B. B. HIGGINS, Botanist.