70 
one-fourth per cent. solution for the same length of time the seed was 
seriously affected. 
Bolley® reports the effects of formalin on oats, barley and wheat. 
Seed of oats and barley immersed half an hour in a solution containing 
three parts formalin to one thousand parts of water gave normal germin- 
ation nine days and nine months after treatment. Wheat immersed ten 
minutes in a two per cent. solution gave eighty-two per cent. germination. 
Thomas” finds a one-half per cent. solution for oats and a treatment 
of about two hours produces no injury to the seed. 
For wheat a one-fourth to one-half per cent. solution and an immersion 
of one-half hour is recommended. Rye was injured in a one-fourth per 
cent. solution when immersed but an hour. 
SUMMARY. 
A brief resumé of the data presented shows that the results obtained 
in the treatment of the spores are well within the bounds of successful 
practice. 
The spores are much more easily injured either with hot water or 
formalin than is the grain. 
It is apparent that the essential feature in the successful treatment 
of grain for smut is to bring each seed in contact with the solution used 
a sufficient length of time to enable it to reach the smut spores. 
The advantage ‘possessed by formalin over hot water in the treatment 
of seed grain lies in the greater ease of its application, doing away. with 
the necessity of heating water and maintaining a reasonably uniform 
temperature during the period of treatment. 
LAKE MAXxINKUCKEE. By J. T. ScoveLu. 
During the summer of 1898 I traced out the sandbars in the southern 
portion of the lake. In doing this work I made about 100 soundings. In 
all we’ now have about 900 recorded soundings of the lake. The contour 
®1. ¢., 130-132. 
'°Thomas, Proc. Ind. Acad. Se., 148, 1897. 
