The Sauk Centre herald., 1929-12-26
Statewide Drive on Smut
Is Planned by University
Prevention Through Seed Treat
ment Is Aim of University
Farm Men

st. Paul, Dec. ZS-HlanS Tor a
statewide drive against smut,
which causes losses to Minnesota
wheat and other small grain grow
ers aggregating several million
dollars annually, were announced
today by r. c. Rose extension plant
pathologist, University Farm. A
state conference on smut control
was held early this week at Uni
versity Farm and details worked
| out for an aggressive campaign
for the prevention of smut thru
seed treatment.
The general control program will
| be carried on in practically all of
the wheat producing counties of
the state, and in addition an in
tensive campaign will be conducted
in three of the principal wheat
counties in cooperation with coun-
ty agents, county crop improve
ment association and local elevat-
ors. Counties being considered
are Wilkin, Polk, Yellow Medicine
and Lac qui Parle.
Failure on the part of many
local elevators to discount smut
ty grain is one of the big obstacles
which serves to prevent the more
general practice of seed treatment
among farmers, the conference
brought out. Besides discouraging
proper seed treatment for smut
control, this failure on the part of
the elevators penalize growers who
| produce clean wheat and who are
/ entitled to a higher price for the
superior product. Consequently,
special effort will be put forth in
the present campaign to induce
elevators to make proper dis
| counts.
Steps will be taken to impress
upon growers, elevator men and
others concerned, the reduction in
the market value of wheat and
other small grains infested with
smut. AS part of the program, ar
rangements have been made to
have the discount for smut speci-
fed in connection with all market
reports on wheat broadcast from
Minneapolis.
The general campaign will con-
sist of educational talks with many
seed treating demonstrations, but
the intensive campaign will in
clude special meetings of farmers,
elevator men and interested or
ganizations in an effort to get all
the agencies involved definitely to
support the campaign. Through
chambers of commerce and other
similar groups, landlords will be
| urged to cooperate with tenants
in controlling smut on rented
/ farms.
Tentative plans call for ten dem
onstrations in each of the counties
where the intensive campaign is to
be carried on, to. compare results
obtained from untreated seed with
similar conditions. Seed-treating
rings, composed of farmers who
will own treating equipment and
purchase materials comparatively
will be formed and available seed
treating and cleaning equipment
will be located for the convenience
of others wishing to treat their
seed.
In addition to Mr.. Rose those Of
the University Farm staff who at
tended the conference were An
drew Boss, vice director of the
Minnesota agricultural experiment
station; F. w. Peck, director Of
the agricultural extension ser
vice; +. e. Balmer, state county
agent leader; E. c. Stakman, and
II. A. Rodenhiser, plant patholo-
gists; F. ]. Brown and c. L. Nc
Nelly, assistant county leaders, and
Ralph F. Grim, extension agrono-
mist.
Others who took prominent parts
Were H. r. Summer, executive Sec
retary Of the Northwest Crop I'M
provement association, Minneapo-
lis: r. H. Black. office of grain in
vestigations, United States De-
apolis: s. c. Meier, extension plant
pathologist, u. S. Department Of
Agriculture, Washington, d. c.;
and O. s. Fisher, extension agrono-
mist, u. s. Department Of Agri-
culture, Washington, d. c.