146 Effective Farming 



that the spores of loose smut are killed by a temperature of 

 133 F., which is four or five degrees lower than will destroy the 

 germ of the wheat. To treat the seed place the grain in a 

 sack and soak it, sack and all, in cold water for six hours to 

 soften it. Then have ready a tub of water at 133 F. and 

 place the sack in the water, leaving it there for five minutes. 

 Remove the sack, empty the grain, and spread out to dry. 

 Some of the germs of wheat may be injured by the high tem- 

 perature and to counteract this loss a little more seed should 

 be sown. 



What is known as the formalin treatment is used to combat 

 the stinking smut of wheat. The formalin, which should be of 

 40 per cent strength, can be purchased at a drug store. Dis- 

 solve at the rate of one pound, or one pint, to fifty gallons 

 of water and use one gallon of the solution for each bushel of 

 wheat. Spread the wheat in a long pile on a tight, smooth 

 floor and sprinkle the solution over the pile. It is a good plan 

 to have one person shovel the pile over while another uses the 

 sprinkling can. After the pile is wet cover it with bags or 

 blankets to keep the fumes of the formalin in the wheat and 

 allow it to remain covered several hours. Next spread the 

 grain out to dry and when dry be careful to place it in clean 

 bags. Turn the bags inside out and sprinkle some of the 

 formalin solution on them to kill any spores that may be in 

 the bags. When ready to plant the grain, sprinkle the seeder- 

 box with the formalin solution to kill any germs that may be 

 there. 



Rusts are responsible for considerable damage to wheat, 

 especially in humid climates. They are more prevalent if the 

 weather is warm and moist than if it is dry. Two kinds are 

 destructive to wheat the leaf rust and the stem rust. These 

 diseases may be known by the rusty brown or blackish spores 

 that attack the plants during growth. No remedy is available, 

 but some varieties of wheat are more rust-resistant than 

 others; consequently, as a preventive measure, it is well to 



