62 



SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS 



FIG. 21. LOOSE SMUT OF 

 WHEAT. 



destroyed than the organism 

 causing concealed smut of wheat 

 or the loose smut of oats. Treat- 

 ment is not recommended unless 

 the disease has been injuriously 

 present in the crop from which 

 seed is taken. When treatment 

 is necessary, it kills many of the 

 seed, so that 50 per cent addi- 

 tional seed should be sown. 



The treatment when necessary 

 is as follows : Soak the seed 

 wheat for 4 hours in cold water ; 

 then scald for 5 minutes at a 

 temperature of 133 F. 



In treating seed wheat or other 

 seed grain by any of the above- 

 named methods, the grain after 

 treatment should not be allowed 

 to come in contact with floors or 

 sacks that have not been dis- 

 infected; such contact would 

 again infect the treated grain 

 with spores, which would cause 

 the disease. 



67. Insect pests of wheat. 

 The Hessian fly is the most seri- 

 ous of insect pests and is widely 

 spread. From the egg, laid on 

 the leaf blades of the young 

 plants, hatch tiny insects which 



