685 



of them for the prevention of oat smut has long been out of the 

 experimental stage. As with many other things, the method used, 

 if efficient, is usually less important than the care and thoroughness 

 of the application. Among the different methods, the formalin treat- 

 ment still stands unsurpassed for convenience of application and 

 when properly applied is equal to any other in efficiency. 



The formalin treatment is very simple. It may be applied with 

 but very little trouble and much profit by any farmer who has loose 

 smut in his oats. The treatment is as follows : Spread out the grain 

 to be treated on a floor or canvas and sprinkle until thoroughly moist 

 with a solution of one pound (about a pint) of formalin to 50 

 gallons of water. Shovel over repeatedly while sprinkling and after- 

 ward so as to distribute the moisture evenly. It is very important 

 that every kernel be thoroughly moistened so that the attached spores 

 may be killed. When thoroughly and evenly moist, not quite wet 

 enough to pack in the hand, the grain should be shoveled into a 

 pile or clean bin or wagon-box and covered for at least two hours 

 with sacks or canvas. This time may be increased to over night, if 

 more convenient, without injury to the grain. The seed may now 

 be sown at once. In sowing at once the seeder or drill must be set 

 to sow somewhat more to the acre in order to make up for the swollen 

 condition of the grain. In order to sow two and one-half bushels 

 of oats the seeder or drill should be set to sow about three and one- 

 half bushels. (Wheat: in order to sow one bushel and four quarts, 

 drill should be set to sow one bushel and 18 quarts.) If grain is 

 to be kept longer than over night, it should be dried as rapidly as 

 possible by spreading in a thin layer, where there is a moderate cir- 

 culation of air, and stirred occasionally with a rake. Thorough 

 drying is highly important if grain is to be kept any length of 

 time, for otherwise it will soon heat and spoil entirely. It is usually 

 best to sow as soon as possible after treatment. Care should be taken 

 to avoid reinoculation of treated seed with smut in handling after 

 the treatment, as by using smutty sacks or bins, etc. These may be 

 disinfected by thoroughly wetting for two hours with the formalin 

 solution used for treating the grain. This time may be shortened 

 by using double strength solution. Placing sacks in boiling water 

 for a few minutes is also effective. 



In general it is usually best to treat the seed each year unless it 

 is very certain that no reinoculation of the clean crop has taken place 

 either from smut in fields near by, smut spores being carried by the 

 wind, or from smut spores carried by the threshing machine after 

 threshing smutted oats on another farm, or from any other such 

 source. It is at once apparent that to eradicate oat smut entirely 

 from a community would require the thorough cooperation of all 

 oat growers over a large area. This would be most desirable, but in 

 general, treating the seed each year, or at least every second year, is 

 the safest and most practicable procedure. 



WHEAT. 



Stinking Smut of Wheat. This, sometimes called Imnt, is 

 quite different from the loose smut of out in many re.-pecls, yet its 



