lo April, 19 1 1.] Field Experiments with Wheat Diseases, 



253 



sown on the 6th May ; five with seed pickled with bluestone, 2 per cent, 

 strength, five with formalin \ per cent, strength, and five were sown with 

 unpickled seed. The soil was dry at sowing time (the experiment was sown 

 with the object of trying the effect of dry conditions on the germination of 

 formalin-pickled grain) but 28 points of rain fell two days later. In this 

 case the unpickled seed showed a more vigorous crop than that treated with 

 formalin, which was no better than the crop from seed pickled with blue- 

 stone. 



Table II. — Pickling Experiment with Federation Seed. 



Treatment. — Pickling was done 7th July, 1910. 



Bunt infected and soaked 1 min. In bluestone, 2% 

 Bunt infected and soaked 1 min. in bluestone and salt, 



2 % 



Bunt infected and soaked 1 min. in bluestone and salt, 



H % 



Bunt infected and soaked 1 min. in bluestone and salt, 



1 % 



Bunt infected and soaked 5 mins. in formalin, J % 

 Sown unpickled 

 Clean seed, unpickled 



Yield. 



Ibs.ozs. 



13i 



llj 



1 



1 2 



1 3J 



7i 



1 



In the second experiment, however (Table II.), the seed was sown in 

 damp soil, in good condition for germination, and the formalin treated seed 

 gave the best results. Where the seed is stated as being Bunt-infected it 

 was well rubbed in crushed bunt or smut balls before sowing. The plots 

 were harvested on 3rd January. 



Table III. — Pickling Experiment — Seed Sown in Boxes. 



* This cell was attacked by mice. 



A third experiment was carried out under cover, in boxes. Federation 

 wheat was u.scd — a graded piunij), haiul-picked sample. It was sown one 

 inch deep, in shallow boxes, in soil which was quite dry and in good 

 mechanical condition. The boxes were each divided into four cells (A, B, 

 C, and 'D), and each box watered at the times indicated in Tal)le III. 

 What was most noticeable throughout the experiment was that tiie soil in 

 cell C appeared to be less hard and compact in every case than the soil in 

 the other cells. Our method of counting the germinated .seeds was to pluck 

 the se<Hllings as soon as they appeared well above the ground. The [)lants 



