96 WHEAT 



threshing smutty wheat the smut balls break and 

 the small, dust-like spores adhere to the wheat 

 kernels. When such wheat is planted the smut 

 spores sprout and produce a fungous growth 

 which infects the young wheat plant and grows 

 within it, fruiting and forming its spores in the 

 head of the wheat, taking the place of the grain. 

 Any treatment which will destroy these spores 

 without injuring the grain of wheat will prevent 

 smut. Several treatments have been more or less 

 successfully used, as hot water, copper sulphate 

 or bluestone, corrosive sublimate, and formal- 

 dehyde. 



TREAT WITH FORMALDEHYDE 



The best remedy known for stinking smut in 

 wheat is to treat the seed with a solution of formal- 

 dehyde. Use one pound of formaldehyde (40% 

 strength) to forty gallons of water. Either spray 

 the wheat or dip it into a barrel or tank containing 

 the solution, taking care that the grain becomes 

 thoroughly wet. The wet grain may be left in piles 

 and covered with blankets for a few hours in 

 order to retain the formaldehyde gas and insure 

 the destruction of all the smut spores. Then 

 spread the grain quite thinly on a tight floor or 

 canvas and allow it to dry from twelve to twenty- 

 four hours, shoveling it over once or twice. Care 

 should be taken not to allow the wet grain to heat 

 in the pile. The usual method is to treat one day 

 the seed that is to be sown the next day. The 

 wheat thus treated will swell some, and in order 

 to sow the required amount per acre the drill 



