REPORT OF THE SOCIETY 47 



SOME METHODS OF SEED TREATMENT 



By Georges Maheux, Provincial Entomologis'^, Quebec. 



This is an important question since many diseases are seed-borne. It is 

 easy to understand some of the advantages which would accrue to the agricul- 

 tural^world by protecting plants against important insect and fungous enemies. 

 If one considers cereals alone, the growers of the province would save some 

 $30,000,000 jf all seed were treated properly before sowing. , 



The methods employed are very simple and do not require many hours of 

 work successfully to carry them out. If they were generally applied, the san- 

 itary condition of our crops would improve immenseh\ Two crops stand out in 

 this respect because of their importance — oats and potatoes — and this is seen 

 when one remembers that the value of these crops amounted in 1920 to over 

 $100,000,000 in Quebec. It is to these that we must direct most attention and 

 if one adds spraying with Bordeaux to seed treatment of potatoes, our efforts 

 wil bring almost complete success. 



The present ar.icle deals with the most important methods of seed treat- 

 ment and the arrangement is on a crop basis. 



I. CEREAL CROPS 



Each 3^ear the fungous diseases of cereals increase in importance and espe- 

 cially is this the case with the oat smut and stinking smut of wheat. In some 

 areas of Quebec loose smut of wheat is common, but generally stinking smut 

 is b}' far the commoner. Occasionnaly one finds also covered smut of oats, 

 and the smuts of barley. It must be remembered that while seed treatment is 

 very important, it is not a panacea, and all other factors must be borne in mind : 

 soil preparation, culture, choice of varieties adapted to the region and rotation. 



The seed treatment most in favour to-daj^ is the formalin treatment. One 

 uses a concentration of about 1 in 300 and this is sufficient to kill the spores 

 which adhere to the seed or glumes. There are several methods of procedure 

 and each will be dealt with briefly. 



Immtrsio or Soaking. — The grain is put in a sack and soaked in a solution 

 of one pint of formalin to forty gallons of water for five minutes. This method 

 has its disadvantages especially as the grains swell considerably and it is there- 

 fore necessary to sow carefully if the crop i? put in immediatel3\ 



Spraying or Sprinkling. — In this method the same strength of solution is 

 used, but the grain is spread out on a good floor and the solution sprayed or 



