346 



This is quite clearly brought out in the report. Of the tive hundred and 

 three reporters, only forty-four knew of the formaldehyde treatment being 

 tried for stinking smut, and forty-two of these had been successful. The 

 two failures reported could easily have been caused by careless methods 

 of treatment or perhaps by storing in contaminated vessels after treat- 

 ment. 



The formaldehyde treatment consists in spreading the seed on a tight 

 lloor or canvas and sprinkling until thoroughly moist with a .1% formalde- 

 hyde solution (made by adding one pound of 40% commercial formaldehydf 

 to about 50 gallons of water). The grain should be shoveled over several 

 times during the sprinkling process in order that the formaldehyde may b.^ 

 evenly distributed. It should then be shoveled into a pile and coA'ered 

 with canvas, or some closely woven material, for about two hours. The 

 covering should then lie removed and the grain either i>]niited immediately 

 ov else dried by shoveling or sjireading the seed into a thin layer and 

 stirring occasionally. It may tlicn be stored, care being taken to tlioroughly 

 disinfect the bins or sacks in wliicii tJie treated wheat is placed. 



The cost of ti-cating llic seed reiiuired to jilant the ero]) of IHIO is 

 estimated as follows: I'.y multiplying the niniiher of acres planted in 

 wheat, or li.( lil.tHlO. by one and oiie-(piarter liuslu'ls. or the amount of 

 seed planted jier acre, we obtain .■l.L's.'i.T.'l* bushels of seed I'ecpiired to 

 raise a croji eipinl to that of IPKi. 



Figuring that I'ornialdeliyde costs 4<» cents jier pound, and that one 

 Ijound ini.xed with oO gallons of water will be sullicient to disinl'ect >0 

 bushels of seed, we have a cost of tlie lormaldehyde for treating one 

 Itnsliel, of aitproximately one-halt cent. 



Then the amount of seed re<piire<l, or 3,2S3,7r)0 bushels nndtlplied 

 I.y one-iialf cent, gives $1(!.41S.7."i. or the cost of the fornnildeliyde for treat- 

 ing all the seed wheat i>lant<'(l in the State. Tills sum subtracted from 

 the estimated loss of .$i;U.".,(inii. leaves ,l;2(>S.r)S2. apjiroximately, which 

 would be tlie gain to the State in one year Ity treating the secMl wheat 

 with formaldehyde. These figures need no emphasis. The whole subject 

 is one which is now in the hands of the farmer. It is for him to decide 

 whether he w.-ints to iirevent this lieavy loss or not. 'I'he I'nrdue Experi- 

 ment Station is anxious to assist, in every possible way, those interested 

 in this work. 

 I'nrdue Inu'rcrsitij, 

 Lafajicttc, Indiana^ 



