REPORT OF MR. JAMES MURRAY 



357 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



wheat, or about twenty-eight of oats. Dipping and sprinkling have given equally 

 good results, but carelessness in either method of treatment is sure to bring disappoint- 

 ment. 



' Bluestone has been found effective as a reagent for destroying smut, but its use 

 has not been attended with quite as satisfactory results as formalin. A bluestone 

 solution of the proper strength is prepared by dissolving one pound of bluestone in 

 six gallons of soft water. As with the formalin solution, it makes no difference how 

 this solution is applied so long as every kernel of grain is thoroughly moistened. 



' Other treatments that have been on trial, as preventatives of smut, include those 

 with sulphide of potassium, sulphate of iron, agricultural bluestone, massel powder, 

 anti-fungi, salt, and hot water. None of these has proven to be nearly as effectual as 

 either formalin or bluestone. The hot water treatment and the sulphide of potassium 

 both effectively prevented the disease, but the methods of application are too tedious 

 to permit of either treatment coming into general use. Agricultural bluestone and 

 anti-fungi are both mixtures of copper sulphate and iron sulphate, and their effective- 

 ness is dependent upon the proportion of sulphate of copper that they contain, sul- 

 phate of iron being of little value as a fungicide.' 



The loose smut of wheat is a distinct disease from the stinking smut and cannot be 

 controlled by formalin or bluestone. The only sure method for it yet discovered is 

 what is known as the ' hot water treatment.' For this treatment the grain is placed 

 in a bag and immersed in water at about 115° F. After it is well wanned through 

 it is placed in water which is kept at a temperature between 130 degrees and 135 

 degrees F. The grain should be stirred occasionally and allowed to remain in the 

 water for fifteen minutes. Afterwards it should be spread on a clean floor to dry. 



While this treatment is effective in killing the smut spores it is not adapted to 

 being used in general farm practice as it is very "slow and requires to be very carefully 

 performed. 



TREATMENT OF SMUT, 1910. 



Five methods of treatment of stinking smut of wheat were tried during the past 

 season. The bluestone and formalin solutions were prepared as outlined above, and 

 Coopers dressing, which is put up by Win. Cooper & Nephews, was prepared accord- 

 ing to directions on the package. A fairly smutty sample of Huron wheat was used. 

 Before the grain was harvested a careful count was made of the number of good 

 heads and of smutted heads in nine feet of row, three feet in each of three different 

 parts of the plot. 



The plots were of one-twentieth of an acre. 



Treatment. 



Formalin (sprinkled) 



Bluestone (Copper Sulphate), sprinkled 

 ii ii M dipped . 



Formalin (dipped) 



Cooper's Dressing 



Not treated 



No. of Heads in 

 Nine Feet of Row. 



Good. Smutted. 



182 

 185 

 187 

 109 

 186 

 170 





 











3 



41 



Yield par 

 Acre. 



Bush. Lbs. 



42 

 42 

 41 

 40 

 40 

 39 



30 



40 

 50 

 10 



