The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-08-30
REPORT ON SMUT
CONTROL MEASURES
EXTENSIVE DEMONSTRATIONS IN
COUNTY SHOWS BLUESTONE BET
TER THAN COPPER CARBONATE
By o. S. Fletcher, Latah County
Agent-)

(By o. s. Fletcher, Latah County
Agent.)
In the fall of 1921 Prof George
! Severance treated part of the seed
/ wheat on his farm northeast of Pa
| louise in Latah county with copper
carbonate and the remainder with
bluestone. The same fall Prof Chas.
! w. Hungerford, plant pathologist of
the Idaho Experiment Station, treated
some seed for o. H. Nordby, Of Gene
see, with copper carbonate, while Mr.
NOrdby treated part of the remainder
of his seed with bluestone followed
by lime dip and the balance with
blueStone Washington Hybrid No
12S was used on both farms. At
harvest time in 1922 the Latah county
agent made smut and stand counts
on these two farms. Results on the
Severance farm were favorable to
copper carbonate, while those on the
Nordby place were unfavorable. Re
suits of tests conducted at the Idaho
! experiment station were also contra
dictory
Since results favorable to copper
carbonate were reported from many
points in Washington, especially
Whitman county, Prof. Hungerford
and the Latah county agent felt that
extensive demonstrations should be
conducted in Latah county to COM
pare copper carbonate with other
treatments commonly used on Latah
county farms for the control of smut.
Farmers of the county were anxious
to learn if copper carbonate was bet
ter than bluestone and other treat
ments, and all approached readily
consented to cooperate in conduct
ing demonstrations. The tests were
planned by Prof Hungerford and
conducted under his supervision.
Demonstrations were started on
fifty-seven farms in eighteen COM
munities, with ten different varieties
Of wheat. Four of these demonstra-
tions were destroyed by hail, one
could not be located in the field. and
one was pastured, so results were
secured on but fifty-one farms The
dates of seeding on these demonstra-
tions ranged from September 8 to
November IA. Two varieties were
grown on each of four farms, two
farms had two different fields of one
variety and three farms had two or
more brands of copper carbonate.
Henry Lorang and o. H Nordby. of
Genesee, each had five different kinds
of seed treatment in addition to a
check plot with no treatment. and
f.. M. GustafSon, of Moscow, had
eleven different treatments in addition
to check plot.
The county agent or Prof Hunger
ford treated seed with copper carbon
ate for all but three of the demons
traitors. Three farmers purchased
copper carbonate and treated their
own seed, treating some with blue
stone so as to have a comparison.
Corona Chemical Company's "copper"
Carb" was used on most of the de-
while Mountain Brand
copper carbonate was used on others.
In all cases two ounces of copper car
Donate was used to one bushel of
wheat
On each farm the wheat treated
with copper carbonate was sOwed the
same day as that with which it was
compared so that conditions on the
different plots would be the same.
Each farmer cooperating in these
tests kept record of the date Of
seeding; how the wheat not treated
with copper carbonate was treated;
whether the wheat was seeded on
5ummerfallOw and if not, what crop
was grown on the land; condition of
The soil at seeding time, and whether
Or not it rained just before or lust
after seeding.
This summer when the grain was
ripe enough to distinguish heads of
smut from wheat heads, smut and
stand counts were made on all plots.
In making these counts, the county
agent was assisted by r. E Everly,
| student of agriculture at the Uni
7ersity of Idaho, and Walter Leth,
If the department of plant pathology
All counts and observations were
made under the direction of Prof.
1ungerford.
In determining the percentage of
mut in the various fields two hund-
ed heads were counted in a drill row
n three or more places in each plot,
are being taken to make counts on
ground. This was done in each seed
reatment plot in each demonstra-
ion, and counts taken side by side
o compare all treatments. To de-
ermine stand, all the plants in six
eet of row were counted wherever
NUT counts were made. In stating
'ercentage of smut or in giving the
tand in this article, averages of the
igures thus taken are used in each
ase.
On twenty-five farms wheat treated
With Corona copper carb was grown
n direct comparison with wheat
reated with solution of one pound
f bluestone to five gallons of water.
IN these farms there was 11.S per
ent smut in the wheat treated with
opper carb and go per cent in that
reated with bluestone. There was
n average of 33.4 plants in six feet
f row of copper carb treated wheat
nd 257 in bluestone treated wheat.
Copper carb was compared with
olution of one pound of b1uestone
nd one pound of salt to five gallons
f water on ten farms. In this lot
here was ia per cent smut in the