DISEASES OF WHEAT 



159 



50 to 75 per cent of the heads in a field are 

 smutted, and the remainder of the grain is 

 so contaminated by the fetid spores as to 

 be of very little value as flour and worse 

 than useless for seed. Unchecked, these 

 smuts increase from year to year, and they 

 occur more or less abundantly in all wheat 

 raising countries. 



Loose Smut of Wheat differs from the 

 stinking smut in these respects: At germi- 

 nation its spores develop a chain of cells 

 instead of an undivided tube; it has no 

 fetid odor; it attacks both kernel and chaff; 

 and it ripens when the healthy wheat is in 

 flour. By harvest time the spores have all 

 taken wings upon the wind, leaving a naked 

 stalk in place of the head. It is 

 known to occur in Europe, North 

 America, northern Africa, central 

 Asia and the West Indies. There are 

 many localities in the United States 

 STINKING SMUT where it is rare or entirely absent. A 

 loss of 10 per cent or more of the 

 crop is often occasioned by loose smut, and even 

 as high as 50 per cent, but usually it is not as de- 

 structive as the stinking smuts. It seems to be 

 more difficult to prevent, however, so that when 

 once introduced into a field, it is more apt to 

 remain. 



Remedies. Any means that destroy the vitality of 

 the smut spores adhering to seed wheat but leave the 

 latter unimpaired in its power of germinating are a 

 safe preventive of smutted wheat. There are several 

 ways of accomplishing this easily and perfectly with 

 the stinking smut. In all treatments by immersion in 

 solution, the seed should first be stirred in water in 

 order to skim off the smut balls. Slaked lime will 

 hasten drying, but is not essential. If the seed is LOOSE 

 sown without drying, the drill must be set accordingly. SMUT 



