147 
After the use of solutions that seemed to be about the maximum 
strength allowable, germination was often delayed for two or three days 
as compared with that of the untreated seeds, and in one case with treated 
oats some did not germinate until the third week. 
In the case of all plants studied the use of formalin did not in any 
way change the character of either the stem, leaves or root in those that 
germinated, as far as could be observed, except as above stated in certain 
exceptional cases. No corrosive action was observed, as is found in the 
case of extended treatment with copper sulphate, that seems to act quite 
freely on the tip of the radicle. 
If,as has been predicted, formic aldehyde in very dilute solutions prove 
an efficient fungicide, there seems to be no reason why it should not take 
the place of the well-known copper—sulphate or hot-water treatment for 
smut of grains. 
The great reduction in price, the ease of manipulation and its general 
all-round efficiency as a germicidal agent will make its use more certain 
by the agriculturist, especially in place of the hot-water process, where 
no little inconvenience is experienced in arranging for treatment and in 
keeping the hot water at a correct temperature. 
This paper is intended to be suggestive rather than exhaustive, and the 
full statistics now on hand will be published at some future time, if the 
practical field experiments to be conducted in the spring warrant the con- 
tinuing of the imvesticution. 
Since the work covered by this paper was completed I have been able to 
find in some cases an indirect reference to the use of formalin in 1: 10,000 
for destroying the spores of smut.* 
SUMMARY. 
4 
The use of formalin for destroying smut spores is very clearly an im- 
portant proposition. 
The small expense of the treatment and the facility of its application 
commend it for a thorough trial, at least. 
* (1) Low.. Ueber einen Bacillus, welcher Ameisensiiure und Formaldehyd assimiliren 
kann. Central. fiir Bak. und Parasitenkunde. Bd. XII, S. 462. 
(7) Comptes Rendues, 1892. 
(°) Annales de Micrographie, 1894-95. 
(°) Recherch. sur la valeur de la formal. u.s. w. Arch. de pharmacodynamie, 1894, 
Wolke ls 
(*) Bericht id. Gesellschaft fiir Morphologie und Physiologie. Miinchen, 1888. 
