588 INSECTS AFFECTING VEGETATION 



After treatment the grain should be drained and dried as rapidly 

 as possible. 



It has been found that after the copper sulphate treatment, dip- 

 ping the grain for a few moments in lime water is advantageous. 

 Such lime water is made by slaking two pounds of good lime and 

 adding 20 gallons of water. 



Hot Water Treatment. This treatment was introduced by Jen- 

 sen, a Danish investigator, and enlarged and modified in this coun- 

 try. This department has given extensive careful study to this par- 

 ticular subject. The treatment is used with much success under care- 

 ful manipulation. It has special merit in treating oats, as it very ef- 

 fectively kills the smut and at the same time accelerates germination 

 and early growth as shown by early studies of this department. It is 

 most conveniently used where steam is available for heating the 

 water. (Care should be taken to avoid letting live steam come in 

 contact with the grain, as this would kill the seed.) 



The treatment consists in soaking the seed grain in hot water 

 for a certain time, after which the grain is spread out to dry. The 

 time of treatment varies with the temperature of the water, which, 

 for success and safety, must be within certain limits: 132 to 140 

 F. for oats; 132 to 135 F. for wheat. The higher temperatures, 

 uniformly kept, require five minutes soaking of the seed, the lower 

 temperature requires 10 minutes, with corresponding gradations be- 

 tween. If the temperature is somewhat higher than the maximum 

 for a brief portion of the time, no harm will result. 



A paragraph from Bulletin No. 35, page 86, summarizes the best 

 method to follow in practice. It is as follows: Now it is difficult 

 to maintain a uniform temperature for even so short a time as five 

 minutes. The method to be pursued, therefore, is to place the seed 

 in water at 140 to 145, and allow the temperature to drop as it will, 

 so long as it does not fall below 130. If, however, it should by 

 accident drop below 130, the time must be extended over five min- 

 utes. After each quantity of seed is treated, the water is brought 

 up to the required temperature again, ready for the next application. 

 This was written for the treatment of oats, consequently for wheat 

 the 140 maximum temperature should be used. The well cleaned 

 grain may be handled in gunny sacks, loosely filled. These should 

 be kept stirred about in the liberal supply of hot water so as to in- 

 sure uniform treatment throughout. The water should always be 

 kept well mixed so as to insure a uniform temperature throughout. 



Sar* treatment as given in the U. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture Farmers' Bulletin No. 250, where it is recommended for wheat 

 treatment, as follows: Sar solution is made by mixing 15 pounds of 

 flowers of sulphur with one-half pound of powdered resin, wetting 

 with about Q l /2 quarts of water to a thick paste, then adding 10 

 pounds of dry powdered caustic soda (concentrated lye), stirring vig- 

 orously while the whole mass turns reddish brown and boils violent- 

 ly. Enough hot water is added to bring the solution up to 6 gal- 



*The word ear was adopted as a short name for this fungicide, being coined 

 from the first letter in each of the words sulphur, alkali and resin. 



