598 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



water. Sprinkle the grain at the rate of 1 to 2 gallons per 

 bushel, thoroughly stirring the oats. The treated grain is then 

 left in sacks for a few hours and then planted. 



W. Saunders (45) in 1899 recommended the following for- 

 malin method: Soak the grain for one hour in a formalin solu- 

 tion made up to a strength of one pint formalin to 36 gallons of 

 water. This treatment has been found equal to the copper sul- 

 phate solution consisting of one pound of copper sulphate to 

 live gallons of water. 



Wilcox (61) of the Montana Station (1899) states that oats 

 treated with a solution of formalin (1 lb. to 50 gallons of water) 

 and soaked for two hours were free from smut, This method 

 is to be preferred to the copper sulphate treatment, which is 

 injurious to the vitality of the seed. 



Moore (37). 1901, after careful investigation, recommends 

 the use of one pound of formalin to 36 gallons of water. For- 

 malin with a guaranteed strength of 40 per cent. The method 

 suggested is to immerse the oats in sacks for ten minutes, then 

 place on a floor in a thin layer to encourage drying. The seed 

 nrny be sown in one to two days, setting the drill to seed one 

 bushel more than normally recpiired. 



Henderson (27) in his work at the Idaho Station in 1906 

 experimented with various formalin solutions to determine their 

 effect on germination of wheat and oats. His conclusions are 

 as follows: (Idaho Bulletin 53, page 107). "1. Seed treated 

 with solution at strength of one pint of formalin to 16 gallons 

 of water and covered for nearly one day. was injured but little. 

 2. Seed treated as above, and covered nearly two days was de- 

 cidedly injured. 3. When treated with solution of one part 

 to 50 gallons, one to 40 gallons, or even one to 25 gallons, the 

 seed was not injured, though covered for two days. 4. When 

 wheat has been treated in piles on the floor, do not cover at all, 

 since germination is delayed, even though the grain is not in- 

 jured. 5. When farmers complain of seed being injured it is 

 the result of too strong a solution — (below 1-50 or 1-40) or to 

 covering for too long a period — two or more days.'' 



Mackey (41) of the Canadian Experiment Station at Indian 

 Head makes first mention of the formalin treatment in 1898. At 

 this time experiments were conducted to compare the relative 

 value of formalin, bordeaux mixture, and copper sulphate solu- 



