EITEMIES OF FARM CROPS. 107 



THE FORMALIN TriEAT3IEXT FOR THE PRE- 

 VENTIOX OF THE SMUTS OF CEREAL GRAINS 

 AND OF POTATO-SCAB. (Bolley.) 



For Wheat, Oats, Barley, and Millet. — Use formalin (40 per 

 cent solution of formaldehyle) at the rate of i pound of 

 the liquid to 45 or 50 gallons of water. Use any method 

 of wetting the grain most suited to your means. Sprink- 

 ling and shoveling is as effective as dipping, if carefully 

 done. 



It is well to treat one day and allow the grain to remain 

 piled up overnight, thus allowing the fumes of the solution 

 to act throughout the pile. 



Cautions. — (i) In the case of oats or barley the wetting 

 must be more thorough than in the case of wheat, so that 

 the formalin or gas may penetrate beneath the husks of 

 the grain. 



(2) Do not allow wet grain to remain in a pile long 

 enough to get hot. A very slight degree of fermentation 

 may greatly reduce the yield. 



For Potato-scab. — Soak the tubers before cutting one hour 

 and a half in a solution of formalin at the rate of one 

 pound of the liquid to thirty gallons of water ; or in a 

 solution of corrosive sublimate, using one pound of the 

 chemical to each fifty gallons of water. 



Note : The potato-scab fungus lives from year to year in 

 the soil and upon old vines. Hence it is wise to try to 

 keep it off your lands, by treating all seed-tubers. (See 

 Bull. 37, N. D. Experiment Station.) 



