The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1935-03-21
Treating Seed
Grain Will Pay

Treating seed grain always pays
and will pay especially well this
year, farmers and elevator men
were told at the seed treating meet
ings held in the county last Thurs
day and Friday. Mr.. c. c. Allison
representing the AAA and the
State Agricultural Extension Ser.
vice, was the speaker and the
meetings were held at Greenwald
Melrose, Belgrade and Padua.
Seed treatment results in higher
yields and better quality of grain
crops and is good crop insurance
MIR. Allison said. He went on to say
that it is known that most of the
barley and oats available for seed
is heavily smutted and that con-
siderable reduction in yield and
quality is to be expected unless all
such seed is carefully treated. In
many sections wheat is badly
smutted and treatment is urged.
Mr.. Allison emphasized the fact
that all of the smuts consist of diff
ferent races or strains. These
strains differ in the amount of
smut they can produce on certain
varieties. This year there is great
danger of introducing on seeds,
strains or races of smuts which
may be more virulent than those
already present in the county.
Because OF the fact that addition
al strains or races of plant diseases
may be introduced on seed, and
that it is known that most of the
seed grain available is smutty, the
Federal Government through the
AAA is cooperating to warn farm.
and applied at the rate of one-half
devise plans for seed treatment.
Discussing the diseases that can
be controlled by seed treatment and
methods of treating. MIR. Allison
emphasized that treating small
grain seed is less complicated and
takes less equipment than was the
case a few years ago. Seed treat
ment previously involved different
methods, chemicals, and equip
ment for barley, oats and wheat.
At the present time a single organ
ic mercury dust, sold under the
trade name Of Improved Ceresan,
and applied at the rate Of one-half
ounce per bushel gives excellent re
suits on oats, wheat and barley. The
cost Of this dust treatment is two
or three cents per bushel. In addi-
ton this dust controls certain seed
carried diseases that previous dis
infectants did not control.
Diseases that can be controlled
by the dust seed treatment are
loose and covered smut Of oats,
shrinking smut OF wheat. and COW
cred smut, black loose smut, and
stripe OF barley. In addition seed
ling blight Of wheat, oats and bar
ley can be controlled by seed treat
ment. Mr.. Allison said that the
black loose smut OF barley control
led by the dust treatment is a new
smut that was not known to be
present in Minnesota until 1893.
The other loose smut of barley call
ed brown loose smut as well as
loose smut Of wheat Is not con-
trolled by the dust treatment be-
cause the smut Is inside the seed
and not on the outside. For those
two smuts the only effective seed
treatment Is the hot water treat
ment which Is not usually practical
on most farms. This treatment has
been used effectively at community
treating stations, such az creamer-
les, where live steam and suitable
equipment Is available.
Mr.. Allison said that OF all the
diseases Of our plants, those dis
eases carried on the seeds are in