260 GRASSES OP IOWA. 



and stir well.* Aft?r from three to fifteen minutes the mass 

 turns a reddish-brown and boils violently, and must be stirred 

 well, preferably with a broad paddle, to prevent it from running 

 over. After it has ceased boiling, add about two gallons of 

 water (hot if possible, but cold will do) and then carefully pour 

 off into another vessel marked to ho'd six gallons, and add hot 

 wa'er till the six-gallon mark is reached. This gives a stock 

 solution, which must be kept in tightly closed jugs or in closed 

 barrels or kegs, since it boils if it comes in contact with the 

 air. It is also decomposed if it touches metals. Of this stock 

 solution use one and one-half pints to fifty gallons of water, 

 soaking the s^ed twenty-four hours, or one gallon to fifty, soak- 

 ing two hours. In either case treat the seed according to the 

 directions given for the potassium sulphide treatment." 



Hot water. — Numerous experiments by Jensen, Arthur, Kel- 

 ler Jian and Swingle, Jones, the writer and many others have 

 shown that hot water is efficacious as a preventative for oits 

 smut and bunt. 



Provide two large vessels holding at least twenty gallons 

 each (two wash kett'.es, soap kettles, wash boilers, tubs, or 

 even barrels will do). One of these vessels should contain 

 warm water at say 110*^ to 120° F. and the other hot water at 

 132*^ to 133° F. The first is for the purpose of warming the 

 seed before dipping it into the second, un'ess this precaution 

 is taken it is difficult to keep the water in the second vessel at 

 the propar temperature. A pail of cold water and a kettle of 

 boiling water should be kept at hand to draw from when neces- 

 sary to raise or lower the temperature; or, better still, in case 

 a kettle or boiler is used, the temperature of the water may be 

 kept up by placing the vessel over a small fire. Where steam 

 is available, it can be conducted into the second vessel contain- 

 ing the hot water by means of a pipe provided with a stopcock. 

 This answers better than any other method for heating the 

 water and for elevating the temperature from time to time. 



Place the seed to be treated, at the rate of half a buihel or 

 more at one time, in a closed vessel which will allow the free 

 entrance of water on all sides. A bushel basket made of heavy 

 wire, with wire netting, say twelve meshes to the inch, to 

 spread inside, may be used for this purpose; or a frame can be 



♦•'Finely-powdered concentrated lye sold in grocery stores In one-pound packages, 

 such as Red Seal granulated lye, serves admirably. If considerable (luantitles of the 

 solution are to be prepj.red, it will be clieaper to purchase powdered caustic soda, 98 

 per cent pure, in ten-pound tins, throughlsome'Wholesale dealer in drugs or chemicals." 



