150 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I902. 



HOW TO TREAT SEED OATS TO PREVENT SMUT. 



As the result of field experiments the Wisconsin Station recom- 

 mends the following: 



"If 50 bushels of seed oats are to be treated, secure from a 

 drug store one pound or a pint of formaldehyde (sometimes 

 called formalin.) Speak to your druggist in advance so that he 

 may secure the formaldehyde in time, if he does not have it on 

 hand. Put into a barrel or cask 50 gallons of water and pour 

 in the one pound of formaldehyde liquid to make the proper 

 solution. Dip out about one-half of the solution into another 

 cask in order to treat two sacks of oats at the same time, thus 

 facilitating the work. Place about two bushels of oats in each 

 of two gunny sacks or large bags and submerge the oats in the 

 solution for twenty minutes ; then lift the sacks from the casks 

 and let drain for a minute or two so as to save the solution. 

 Empty the oats on a threshing floor or on a canvas to dry and 

 proceed as before, using the same sacks for the remainder of the 

 oats." 



"The solution as used is not poisonous and will not injure the 

 sacks or clothing coming in contact with it. Formaldehyde is a 

 gas generated by burning wood alcohol. It is readily soluble 

 in water, which will hold 40 per cent of it in solution. This 

 'solution is sold by most drug stores under the name of formalde- 

 hyde or formalin at about 50 cents per pound." 



"It is well to treat the seed oats two or three days before sow- 

 ing to give ample time to dry. If the oats are shoveled over a 

 few times it will facilitate the drying very much and no difficulty 

 will be experienced sowing with seeder or drill. The treated 

 oats can be sown with a force-feed drill or seeder when quite 

 damp, but the machine should be set so that it will indicate sow- 

 ing about a peck more than the quantity desired per acre, as the 

 oats are swollen and will not run quite as freely as dry oats." 



"The treatment of seed oats seems to facilitate the sprouting ; 

 a difference of from two to four days in favor of the oats treated 

 will be noticeable." 



