238 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The experiments witli the copper sulphate consisted of either sprink- 

 ling the grain with the solutions or dipping the grain into the solu- 

 tions, and after each treatment part of the seed was limed and part 

 not limed. In the hot-water treatment the temperatures employed 

 were, for first dipping, 120° F., and for the second 130 or 135°, the times 

 of immersion varying from 2 to 10 minutes. The best results obtained 

 were those in which the seed was dipped until thoroughly wet in a 

 solution of J lb. copper sulphate to 16 gal. water, after which it was 

 dried in lime; and in the hot- water treatment, where the grain was 

 soaked in water at 120° for 10 minutes and then for 10 minutes at 135°. 

 In each case 0.1 per cent smutted plants were grown from the seed as 

 compared with from 11 to 20.6 per cent in the check lots. Soaking the 

 seed in cold water for 15 minutes gave 10.4 per cent smut, and in a 

 saturated salt solution 3.3 per cent. Full directions are given for all 

 the different treatments. 



The smut of oats and its prevention, A. D. Selby ( Ohio 8ta. Bid. 

 64, pp. 115-139, pi. 1). — Notes are given upon the botanical characters 

 of the fungus, its life history, and historical facts relative to its S])read 

 and the amount of damage it is thought to do in decreasing the yield of 

 the crop. The author estimates that about 6 jier cent of the oat crop of 

 his State is destroyed each year by the smut. Directions are given for 

 the hot-water and the potassium-sulphid treatment of seeds before 

 sowing. The results of plat experiments with these treatments for the 

 prevention of the disease are tabulated, and it is shown that there is an 

 increased yield from treated seed, in addition to the prevention of 

 smut, that is sufficient to pay the cost of treatment. 



Combating carnation rust, F. C. Stewart {New York State Sta. 

 Bui. 100, n. set:, pp. 36-68, Jigs. 2). — Notes are given on the history and 

 distribution of carnation rust, together with a resume of treatments 

 suggested and tested for its prevention. Bordeaux mixture, fostite, 

 potassium sulphid, carbolic acid, copper sulphate, and copper sulphate 

 in ammonia have been tried with conflicting results. 



The author investigated the effect of different strengths of solutions 

 of copper sulphate, common salt, and potassium sulphid upon the ger- 

 mination of the rust spores. The spores were found to germinate 

 readily in 1 to 1,000 copper sulphate and there was some germination 

 in as strong solutions as 1 to 300. The spores are able to germinate in 

 salt solutions up to 1 to 45, while 1 to 3,000 of i)otassium sulphid pre- 

 vented all germination. Soaking cuttings in different strengths of 

 copper- sulphate solutions showed that the plants were injured in most 

 cases where the strength of the solution was sufficient to prevent the 

 germination of the fungus spores. Cuttings soaked for a half hour in 

 a 1 to 134 solution of potassium sulphid rooted better and were more 

 vigorous than untreated cuttings. 



All attempts at curative treatment failed and the trials for preventive 

 treatment were not wholly successful in preventing disease. For 



