Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-04-13
DAT SMUT AND
y. ITS CONTROL
DAT SMUT is PREVENTABLE III
THE PROPER TREATMENTS
ARE USED.


and are usually stunted, so that they
are easily overlooked in field of
grain.
This disease is caused by a para
site fungus-a small plant which
makes no food for itself but steals its
living from the cat. The body Of
the smut fungus is made up Of
threads, microscopic in size, which
will live inside the oat plant, growing
up with it, and finally producing its
own kind Of fruit where the oat KEY
mel should produce This fruiting
mass of the oat fungus is the brown
"smutty" powder. 1t is made up of
The countless thousands of exceeding
ly minute balls. These balls are the
seed of the smut fungus. They
are called spores.
These secd-like bodies, the spores,
are mature at threshing time. They
get into crevices Of the grain and
adhere to the surfaces. When the
grain sprouts, the smut fungus
sprouts too, and bores into the young
seeding. This is the only period
when the smut can infect the oats
Once inside, the smut plant grows as
the oat plant grows, keeping pace
with its progress. When the oat ma
lures, the smut matureS also and
completely replaces the normal grain
with the ''smutty" powder. The seed
of next years crop becomes heavily
busted with this powder during
threshing. IL is not too much to say
that, year in and year out, smut de
stroys s TO 10 per cent of the UNI
treated Michigan cat crop-approxi-
matcly one acre out of every ten
planted This amounts to nearly
four million dollars annually.
Prevention of the oat smut is pos
sible by taking advantage of the
fact that the smut can only enter
grain at sprouting time, the seed
grain itself being the source of in
lection.
Seed treatments kill the spores on
the outside of the grain, without in
juring the grain itself.
Smut is now so common every
where that untreated grain gives a
give clean, healthy plants.
Clean the oats of all wee seeds
chatf, and light grains by means of
a tanning mill.
Treat seed oats for smut either by
the well known sprinkling method OF
by the new concentrated Tornado
hyde treatment.
Old Sprinkling Method.
Mix one pint fresh formaldehyde
with 40 gallons of water. Clean a
place on the barn floor and sprinkle
with this solution. Spread the oats
in thin layer and sprinkle with the
diluted solution Of the formaldehyde
Shovel over and over until every ker-
mel is moist. Add layer after layer
sprinkling as before. Two quarts OF
solution is enough TO allow TO q
bushel. When all the grain is moist
cncd, shovel into a compact heap
cover two hours with a blanket OF
canvas, then spread out to dry anc
air Do not let the wet grain freeze
mould or sprout.
The grain may be planted as soor
as it is dry enough to run through
the drill. Make allowance for the
slightly swollen condition wher
planting. One pint of 'formaldehydC
will treat from 80 to 60 bushels.
The treatment may be modified by
dipping the grain, one-half to one
bushel at time, in a barrel or tub
of the dilute solution. Drain, cover
for two hours, dry and the oats arc
ready for planting. ;
The New Concentrated Formaldc-
hyde Treatment.
Use formaldehyde at the rate OF
one pint to 80 bushels of grain. Fol
smaller amounts Of grain use CORES
pondingly smaller amount of formal
dchyde than the amount recommend
Cd Put the right amount of fresf
formaIdehyde just as it comes from
the druggist, into a pint or quart
hand sprayer or atomizer and spray
the grain as it is shoveled over anc
over. If the sprayer is kept close tC
the grain and if the treatment j:
given in a room where there is gooe
Ndraft, the penetrating odor of the for
maldehyde will give no discomfort.
When the right amount of formal
dehyde has been applied, shovel the
oats into a heap and cover for exact
ly four hours with canvas or blank
ct. The grain should then be spread
out thinly for a thorough airing in
warm place. Rake the grain ovei
during this airing, then plant a
once.
Wheat, barley and rye may b'
treated in the same way as for oats
Injury to the wheat will result if di
rections are not followed, or if th'
grain is allowed to stand after treat
ing. Plant the same day.
With either treatment avoid con
Eliminating the grain with dust from
old sacks or from the drill. To dis
infect the sacks, soak in Tornado
hyde, two tablespoonfuls to a pail O
water. To disinfect the drill, pou
this solution through it.
SnrinkIing Treatment