REPORT OF MR. 8. A. BEDFORD. 



3U 



, THE TREATING OP SEED WHEAT FOR SMUT 



Although experiments for the prevention of smut in wheat have been conducted 

 here for a number of years, it is still one of the principal subjects dealt with by corres- 

 pondents ; for that reason it was thought advisable to repeat the experiments again this 

 year. 



From the accompanying table, it will be seen that the result of the test is very 

 emphatically in favour of bluestoning. This result, however, should not encourage any 

 one to sow smutty wheat, even when treated, if clean seed can be procured. 



The proper use of bluestone is to prevent comparatively clean wheat from becoming 

 smutty rather than to encourage the sowing of wheat already badly affected. 



The size of the plots used for this test was ^^ acre, the soil a light loam, and both 

 were sown on .12th of May. 



EARLY, MEDIUM AND LATE SOWINGS. 



The Red Fife wheat plots in this series are particularly regular in the yields and 

 dates of maturing ; the second sown plot as usual giving slightly the largest yield. 



The injurious effects of the severe wind storms and frosts of May and June are 

 very apparent on the earlier sown oats ; the two earliest sown being completely killed 

 out and the third plot of Abundance badly injured. 



Its effect is also shown in the uneven ripening of this grain, the early sown plots 

 being thin the plants continued to stool out and did not ripen in some instances as early 

 as the later sown plots. 



The Canadian Thorpe barley is evidently more susceptible to injury from frost than 

 Odessa, as two plots of the former were destroyed from this cause, while no injury was 

 apparent to the Odessa. 



The third and fourth sown plots of Golden Vine pease were so badly mixed by a 

 severe wind storm soon after cutting that it was impossible to keep the yields separate ; 

 this frequently occurs with pease here if sown alone. The only preventative I know for 

 this is to sow oats with them at the rate of two pecks per acre, the combined crop can 

 then be cut with a binder and stooked the same as any other grain. 



All these plots were sown on summer fallow with a hoe drill. Soil a clay loam, 

 uniform in character. 



