604 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



Table XIII. Virginia Gray Oat, 1,000 Seeds. 



From tables XII and XIII it is evident that the poorer the 

 grade of seed ? the greater is the loss due to treating. Stevens 

 suggests that the beneficial results often seen after certain treat- 

 ments when the grain is seeded in the field is clue to the destruc- 

 tion of the inferior seed. The averaged run of oats in the 

 test indicates the presence of the inferior seed. If such re- 

 sults occur under all conditions it would seem advisable to grade 

 and fan the seed oats prior to the treatment for smut. 



For general use the solution of one pint to 48 gallons of wa- 

 ter is recommended. The grain is either immersed for 20 min- 

 utes or sprinkled. Cover the grain for 6 to 12 hours. The oats 

 may be readily dried by mixing with air slacked lime. The 

 lime may be removed by a fanning mill. The seed may be stored 

 after being thoroughly dried without affecting its vitality. In 

 general one gallon of solution will treat one bushel of oats. 



Willis (63), 1908, recommended in his treatments for oat 

 smut a formalin solution with the strength of one pint to 25 

 gallons of water. The grain was to be submerged for 5 to 10 

 minutes and sown at once. This formula would treat 20 bushels 

 of oats. The above mentioned solution is stronger than those 

 recommended for general use by any experiment station today, 

 yet it coincides with the results of our recent investigations. 

 However, the author makes no mention of covering the oats for 

 a period of time. Since the "time covered" element is regarded 

 essential by many investigators the effectiveness of this treat- 

 ment might be questioned. 



