578 Grasses and Leguminous Crops in New York 



Each year the mycelium follows up in the growing tip of the plant 

 and produces its spores in the leaves and stems. 



Since the fungus hibernates as mycelium in the seed and pos- 

 sibly as spores on the seed, the only feasible, control measure, so 



far as is known at present, 

 is the hot-water treat- 

 ment. Experiments indi- 

 cate that the best method 

 is to soak the seed 6 hours 

 in cold water, then dip it 

 in water heated to 52 de- 

 grees C. (126 degrees F.) 

 for 15 minutes, or 54 de- 

 grees C. (129 degrees F. ) 

 for 10 minutes. The 

 two conditions absolutely 

 necessary for this treat- 

 ment are that the tem- 

 perature of the water re- 

 main constant and that 

 the time of treatment be 

 exact. More than one or 

 two pecks ought not to be 

 treated at once, so as to 

 avoid too great cooling of 

 the water when the seed 

 is dipped and to allow 

 rapid and ready permea- 

 tion of the seed mass. 

 In this wav all seeds will 

 be treated uniformly. The 

 seed may be placed in a 

 bag and suspended in the hot water, but the bag should be made of 

 loosely woven cloth, like burlap, and the seed should lie loosely 

 in it. During the treatment, the water should be continually 

 stirred and the seed shaken from time to time. 



Since this process is somewhat laborious and delicate, it is rather 



Fig. 620. Young Timothy Plants 



Showing the Striae on the Leaf 



Blades and Sheaths. 



