OAT SMUT AND ITS PREVENTION. 

 Chas. D. Woods. 



Farmers' Bulletin No. 75 of the U. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture describes the grain smuts and explains how they may be pre- 

 vented. This bulletin may be obtained by addressing the Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, from your Congressman 

 or from the Maine Experiment Station. 



The following, selected from the "summary" of bulletin 75, 

 outlines the disease, its cause and its prevention : 



Smuts of cereals are caused by minute parasitic fungi, the 

 spores or seed-like bodies of which form the black, dusty mass 

 which takes the place of the kernels or the entire head. 



The spores are very minute and are easily blown about, often 

 adhering to the kernel before it is planted. When such kernels 

 sprout, the spores also germinate and send delicate threads into 

 the young seedlings. These threads follow the growth of the 

 plant, fill the head as soon as formed, and there develop a mass 

 of spores instead of kernels. 



Loose smut of wheat attacks the whole head and converts it 

 into a mass of loose, dusty spores. It causes considerable dam- 

 age in some localities and is more difficult to prevent than other 

 smuts. 



Loose smut of oats is very similar to loose smut of wheat and 

 probably causes an annual loss in the United States of more than 

 $18,000,000. 



Barley is attacked by two smuts and rye by one. Corn smut is 

 widespread, but fortunately it usually causes only very slight 

 loss. As yet no effective remedy is known for corn smut. 



The formalin treatment has been found very effective in pre- 

 venting stinking smuts of wheat and oat smut. It consists in 

 soaking the seed for two hours in a solution of I pound of forma- 

 lin to 50 to 60 gallons of water. The strong formalin is pois- 

 onous, and great care should be exercised in its use. [For a full 

 description of how to use the formalin see page 149.] 



