166 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



vised in the proportion of 1 in 1,000, .that is 1 lb. in 100 gallons of 

 water, and after being thoroughly dissolved, the infected seed-wheat 

 was immersed in it, as in the case of formalin. 



The following morning, when the seed was dry, the plots were 

 sown with an ordinary farm drill in single strips alongside each other. 



4. Check Plot. — There was a check plot of equal extent to the 

 others in which the infected grain was sown without any treatment 

 whatever, so that the eilect of the various treatments on the resulting 

 crop coidd be compared with each other, as well as with the untreated. 



Results of Treatment. 



In order to estimate results on such relatively large plots, it was 

 necessary to adopt some plan whereby the proportion of clean to 

 smutty ears could be approximately determined. Accordingly, two 

 strips, the width of the plot, were selected at some distance from each 

 other and one yard in length. The total ears were counted in each 

 strip, and an average of the two taken, then this sum was multiplied 

 by the length of the plot in yards, thus giving a sufficiently close 

 approximation to the total number of ears in the plot. Next the 

 smutted heads were counted in each treated plot, which were searched 

 three times for smutty ears in order to ensure accuracy. As the crop 

 was just fully ripe, the smutted heads were easily detected among 

 the clean ears, and under the conditions that existed there was no 

 probability of any appreciable error. 



In the check plot a different method of counting was adopted, 

 as almost every ear was smutted, and numerous small patches were 

 selected at random. In this way an average of 910 ears were 

 found smutted in every 1,000 counted — that is, 91 per cent, of smutty 

 ears. 



This mode of reckoning was found to be unsuitable for the 

 treated plots, because the smut there was so scanty that large 

 stretches were absolutely clean. Thus in the plot treated with 

 formalin, after counting two lots of 1,000 heads each, none were 

 found diseased, and only 232 smutty ears were picked out of the 

 whole plot. 



In order to allow for smutty ears in the treated plots over- 

 looked or undiscovered, 10 per cent, was added to the actual 

 number recorded, so that the relative merits of the different fungi- 

 cides used are approximately shown. The results were as follows : — 



Bluestone . . 1 lb. to .5 galls. J5 per cent, of smutty ears or 1 in 1,214 



Corrosive sublimate I lb. to 100 ,, ^ ,, ,, ,, or 1 in 732 



Formalin .. 1 lb. to 100 ,, ^-^ „ „ ,, or 1 in 366 



Check Plot .. .. .. 91 ,, 



Remarks on Results. 



The advantage of the treatment of the seed for stinking smut 

 stands out clearly in these experiments. Bluestone proved the 



