The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-03-05

seed grain ready for planting,
states r. o. Bridgford of the Nor
ris Farm School. The statement
has been made that one of the
greatest losses suffered by Mime
sofa farmers result from the use of
poor seed. poor seed" may mean
seed of inferior quality, poor ger
minating ability, seed containing
diseased kernels and smut, UNI
cleaned, chaffy or containing mix
lures of other grains. So it is a
wise policy for every one growing
grain to check up on his seed
stocks in every possible way if
satisfactory returns from it are to
be obtained. Many of the above
mentioned facts can be corrected
by properly cleaning the grain
with tanning mill. The average
mill, when adjusted correctly, as
to screens and wind blast, will re-
move the majority of weed seeds,
the light as well as cracked ker-
nels, and blow out numerous
quantities of smut spores injecting
the grain. After cleaning, germina-
ton tests should be made to as
sure uniform stands. Seed thus
treated give the grower at least
the benefit of the doubt by enabl-
ing him to plant grain Of superior
quality.
Farmers in Minnesota are TAX
ing heavy annual losses due to
smuts of grain. Twelve percent of
wheat shipped to terminals in 1880
graded smutty, and considerable
percentage of oats and barley
were infected with disease. Smut
in wheat causes discount of from
2 to Is cents per bushel as well as
a loss in yield of from to Is per-
cent. Greatly reduced yields also oc-
cur in barley and oats because Of
smut. Seed selection and disinfec-
ton combined with proper cultural
methods will, to large extent,
prevent this enormous loss. In
Minnesota smuts occur on wheat,
oats, barley, rye, corn, sorghum,
timothy, millet and several grass
es. Each crop plant is attacked by
a particular kind of smut and as
rule smut from one plant will
not be transferred to another. For
instance, wheat smuts attacks only
wheat, and smuts of oats, barley
and rye do not attack any other
cereals.
For the covered smut of wheat,
known also as bunt, the use of
clean seed is the most important
preventive measure. Whenever it
is possible to secure seed from
fields known to be free from smut
the practice should be followed.
The most important dry treat
ments consist of the use Of chemi-
cal dusts such as copper carbonate
and cerene. The advantages of u.s.
ing dusts are, that they are mex
pensive, they do not materially af-
feet the termination of the seed,
are comparatively easy to apply
and may be applied any time prior
to planting. Two heaping table
spoons (about ounces) added to
each bushel of grain and rotated
in an old barrel churn or barrel, to
thoroughly cover each kernel, will
effectively control this disease as
well as the covered smut of barley
and the smut of oats. The addition
of too much dust will not injure
the grain but merely adds to the
expense. Formaldehyde may be
used in place of the dust if grower
prefers. The grain may be dipped
or sprinkled in a solution of 1 pint
of formalin to 40 gallons of water,
or sprayed on at rate of 1 pint to
ten gallons of water. It may be re-
menfbered that loose smuts cam
not be controlled by the treat
ments just mentioned, the hot
water treatment bring the most
effective means known now. AS
the temperature of the water must
be sufficient to kill the spores
without injuring the termination
of the grain, the availability Of
steam is necessary in controlling
IIlc IcIlpcI dIuIc VI IIlc WdISI IL
large amounts of grain are to be
treated. County Agents or others
familiar with the proper techni-
que should be consulted when this
method is used.
Inotreating grain with any of the
disihfectants described above,
especially in case of the wet meth
DDS, it is we'll to remember that
smutty vessels, tools, and sacks
used in handling the grain and dust
containing smut spores are likely to
undo the work of disinfection.
Sacks known to have contained
smutty grain may be boiled in
water and implements disinfected
with strong solution of Tornado
hyde. Grain treated by any method
Of other than this hot water should
not be fed to stock. If formalde-
hyde is used it should be standard
1910 strength. Grain should not
be allowed to freeze when wet.