FORMALIN TREATMENT FOR OAT SMUT 



609 



Table XVIII. Length of Gas Tkevimi \i we res Effei i Upon 

 Germination. 



The germination tests show thai formaldehyde vapor from 

 practically standard formalin solution can be applied to wheat 

 for one hour without injury and is efficient in controlling the 

 smut. (See Table XVIII.) Whether the above conclusions 

 can be applied to the oat crops is still a question. The main 

 problem is the feasibility of applying the treatment on a large 

 scale for treating oats, which are of different structure and 

 more bulky. 



At present there is no satisfactory way of treating the grain 

 with formaldehyde gas either on a large scale or on the farm. 

 And since it is necessary to have the vapor at the point of satura- 

 tion for efficient results, the solutions may as well be used for 

 practical purposes. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH VARIOUS FORMALIN SOLUTIONS AND 



THEIR RELATION TO THE GERMINATION AND 



CONTROL OF THE OAT SMUT. 



Amks, Iowa, 1915. 



At the present writing the formalin treatment seems to be 

 the most efficient remedy for oat smut. Bowever, ii embodies 

 one or more objectionable features from the standpoint of the 

 practical farmer. These are. first, the time involved in treat- 

 ing; and second, the need of saturating the oa1 grain. While 

 its efficiency is not questioned the still presenl objections may 

 bear investigation. 

 89 



