190 



FUNGI AND FUNGICIDES 



FIG. 79. OATS GER- 

 MINATING. 



they are clearer and lighter, though still brown. Pro- 

 fessor Kellerinaii estimates that a compact cubic inch <f 

 smut would contain 64,000,000,000 spores. 



Treatment. In 1887, Professor J. L. Jensen, of 

 Denmark, announced that the smut of oats and wheat 

 can he prevented by soaking the seed for five or ten min- 

 utes in water heated to 133 F., with- 

 out injury to the germinating quali- 

 ties of the seed. Further experiments 

 in Europe by the same investigator, 

 and in America by several experi- 

 menters notably Keller man and 

 Swingle in Kansas, and Arthur in 

 Indiana have abundantly justified 

 these claims, and have demonstrated 

 that by this simple treatment agricul- 

 turists can prevent, practically, all of 

 the loss now suffered from this dis- 

 ease. And, strangely enough, these experiments have 

 shown that the treatment indicated not only prevents 

 the smut, but that it also hastens the germination of the 

 seed and increases the yield, above that which the pre- 

 vention of the smut accounts for, to such an extent that 

 it would pay to treat it were no smut present. The 

 hastening of germination has been well represented by 

 Professor Arthur, in Fig. 79, showing oats that have 

 been in a germinator three days ; a, having been previ- 

 ously soaked in a solution of copper sulphate ; b, having 

 had no treatment; and c, having been soaked in hot 

 water. It will at once be seen that the hot water has 

 hastened the germination, ana that the copper sulphate 

 has retarded it. In Fig. 80 are represented the same 

 kernels after they had been growing two weeks on moist 

 blotting paper; d is the one treated with copper sul- 

 phate ; e the one untreated ; and / the one soaked in 

 hot water. As will be noticed in the engraving, the 



