REPORT OF MR. S. A. BEDFORD. 



289 



The use of Bluestone as a Smut Preventive. 



Although trials of bluestone as a smut preventive have been carried on here for 

 a number of years, and always with the same result, the interests at stake are so large 

 that the test was again repeated this year, with even more than usual success, and 

 we do not understand why some farmers fail in destroying smut by this means. 



The mode of application adopted here for wheat only slightly smutty is to dissolve 

 one pound of bluestone in 1J pails of water; this is sprinkled over ten bushels of grain 

 with an old broom, keeping the wheat well stirred during the operation ; as bluestone 

 dissolves slowly in cold water, it is recommended to use a quart or two of boiling water 

 at first, and after the bluestone is dissolved, cold water can then be added to make up 

 the requii-ed quantity. 



The reported failures in the use of bluestone are probably due either to carelessness 

 in stirring the wheat, so that the grains are not all wet with the solution, or from im- 

 perfectly dissolved bluestone. If the directions given are carefully followed, smut will 

 certainly be almost wholly prevented. 



Land summer-fallowed, size of plots J^ of an acre, six pecks per acre, bluestone liquid 

 sprinkled on the seed, results obtained by counting the wheat heads on 3 feet square. 

 Common drill used, soil clay loam, sown 3rd May, cut 13th August. 



Variety. 



How treated. 



Very smutty Red Fife [lib. Bluestone to 10 bushels.. 



I " " to 5 " 



No Bluestone. 



Yield per 

 Acre. 



"I 

 Bush. lbs. 



23 



22 

 22 



30 

 50 

 30 





<s 2 



w 



449 

 360 

 361 



, -r. 



ci r a 



5 ai 



473 

 360 



473 



Loose Smut in Barley and Oats. 



This fall many farmers report heavy losses from loose smut in coarse grains. 



Until the past season, the losses from this kind of smut have been small in this 

 province, but on this farm it has been found very prevalent when infected seed is sown, 

 and in future we may expect it to be more general unless effective steps are taken to 

 check it. 4 



During the past season some tests have been made on this farm with badly smutted 

 Baxter's barley, both soaked and sprinkled with bluestone liquid, the following tables 

 give the result of this experiment, with liquid composed of one pound of bluestone to 

 twelve quarts ofwater : 



How treated. 



Soaked in bluestone liquid 5 hours 



Sprinkled with bluestone 1 lb. to 10 bush. . 

 No bluestone treatment 



Remarks. 



Germinated slowly and only 75 % 

 Germination not injured. 



From the above it will be seen that soaking in bluestone solution severely injures 

 the germination of the seed, and that sprinkling only destroys about one-half of the 

 smut, therefore neither of these plans are entirely satisfactory. 

 8c— 19 



