Minnesota Plant Diseases. 



225 



Hot water method for smuts (Jensens.) 



"Provide two large vessels, preferably holding at least twen- 

 ty gallons. Two wash kettles, soap kettles, wash boilers, tubs, 

 or even barrels, will do. One of the vessels should contain 

 warm water, say at 110 to 120 F., and the other scalding 

 water, at 132 to 133 F. The first is for the purpose of warm- 

 ing the seed preparatory to dipping it into the second. Unless 

 this precaution is taken it will be difficult to keep the water in 

 the second vessel at the proper temperature. A pail of cold 

 water should be at hand, and it is also necessary to have a 

 kettle filled with boiling water from which to add from time to 

 time to keep the temperature right. Where kettles are used, a 

 very small fire should be kept under the kettle of scalding 

 water. The seed which is to be treated must be placed, half 

 a bushel or more at a time, in a closed vessel that will allow 

 free entrance and exit of water on all sides. For this purpose 

 there can be used a bushel basket made of heavy wire inside 

 of which is spread wire netting, say twelve meshes to the inch ; 

 or an iron frame can be made at a trifling cost, over which the 

 wire netting can be stretched. This will allow the water to 

 pass freely and yet prevent the passage of the seed. A sack 

 made of loosely woven material, as gunny sack, can be used 

 instead of the wire basket. A perforated tin vessel is in some 

 respects preferable to any of the above. In treating stinking 

 smut of wheat, the grain should first be thrown into a vessel 

 filled with cold water; then, after stirring well, skim off the 

 smutted grains that float on the top, and put the grain into the 

 basket or other vessel for treatment with hot water. This skim- 

 ming is entirely unnecessary with other grains and even with 

 wheat, when only affected by the loose smut. \o\v dip the 

 basket of seed in the first vessel containing water at 110 to 

 120 F. ; after a moment lift it. and when the water has for the 

 most part escaped, plunge it into the water again, repeating 

 the operation several times. The object of the lifting and 

 plunging, to which should be added a rotary motion, is to bring 

 every grain in contact with the hot water. Less than a minute 

 is required for this preparatory treatment, after which plunge 

 the basket of seed into the second vessel, containing water at 

 I3_> c to 133 F. If the thermometer indicates that the teni- 



: 



