186 



Results obtained at the Experimental Farm, Indian Head, 1891, showing the value 



of certain Smut Preventives. 



Variety of Wheat. 



Treatmsnt. 



White Connell 

 do 

 . dr 

 dc 



Red Fife 



do 



do 



do 



White Fife . . . 

 do 

 'Jo 



ao 



Judket 



do 



do 



do 



Untreated 



Copper sulphate 



"Agricultural bluestone". 

 Iron sulphate 



Untreated 



Coppei sulphate 



" Agricultural bluestone ' 

 Iron sulphate 



Untreated 



Copper sulphate 



" Agricultural bluestone ". 

 Iron sulphate 



Untreated 



Copper sulphate 



" Agricultural bluestone ". 

 Iron sulphate 



No. of 



Smutty 



Heads. 



6 

 7 

 3 

 6 



164 

 1 

 7 



168 



10 

 .. 

 .. 



2 



49 



1 



. 



38 



No. oi 



Good 



Heads. 



3,479 

 3,422 

 3,942 

 3,575 



3,189 

 4,420 

 3,983 

 3,722 



3,690 

 3,840 

 3,810 

 3,595 



3,905 

 ;{,7tiO 

 3.850 

 3,960 



To discuss briefly these results : 



In the case of the " White Connell, " the number of smutty heads is very small, 

 and no great diffeieuce is to be noted between the treated and untreated grain in 

 this particular. This experiment gives no data from which any inference may be 

 drawn as to the relative efficacy of the solutions. 



The Eed Fife, however, shows a fairly large number of smutty heads in the 

 untreated sample and affoj-ds an excellent example for the study of this question. 

 The number of smutty heads is practically the same in the untreated and iron 

 sulphate experiments. By the action of copper sulphate, this number was reduced 

 from 164 to 1 and by agricultural bluestone from 164 to 7. The value of copper sul- 

 phate (blue vitriol) and agricultural blue stone and the inefficiency of iron sulphate 

 for destroying smut seems to be nere well emphasized. 



With White Fife, although tlie numbers throughout are small, like results are 

 obtained, and the inferences with regard to the relative smut-destroying powers of 

 the solutions are the same as with the Ued Fife. 



The experiments with Judket give similar results, with slight reduction in the 

 number of smutty heads when treated with iron sulphate. Practically there is no 

 appearance of smut after copper sulphate and agricultural bluestone. 



Therefore these experiments, while serving to prove the efficacy and almost 

 equal worth of copper sulphate and agricultural bluestone, go to show that for 

 destroying smut spores, iron sulphate is almost valueless. 



These experiments will be continued during the season of 181)2, 



A strong solution of bluestone if in contact with wheat for a long time will 

 undoubtedly affect the vitality of the latter, but as the experiments just cited show, 

 a treatment such as I have described results only m benefit. The small amount of 

 loss due to this treatment in some instances is not to be compared with the advan- 

 tage accruing from having wheat free from smut, which follows the use of blue- 

 stone. 



EFFECT OF COPPER SOLUTIONS UPON THE FERTILITY OF THE SOIL. 



An article lately appeared in a leading !i uLieultural paper on what was held 

 to be the deleterious action to the fei tility of the soil from the copper in the solu- 



