OATS /'- 



Diseases of oats. The chief diseases attacking oats 

 are rusts and smuts. These are of the same general char- 

 acter as the rusts and smuts of wheat, fungous growths 

 feeding on the growing plant. 



The rusts are of two chief types: (1) letf rust, which 

 is of a reddish-brown color, and attacks the leaves, and in 

 some degree the stems, of oats shortly before ripening time ; 

 and (2) stem rust, which is to be recognized as black spots 

 appearing on the stems and leaves of oats just before they 

 ripen. 



Stem rust is less common than leaf rust, but when 

 present is far more injurious to the crop. The rusts are 

 more serious as an enemy of oats in the South than in the 

 North, appearing in the South almost every year, and greatly 

 reducing the yield. Rust is more common in moist hot sea- 

 sons than in dry seasons. No sure cure has been discovered 

 for rust in oats, though some varieties are more able to 

 resist its attack than others. 



Smut ordinarily causes more injury to oats than any 

 other disease. It has been estimated that from two to three 

 per cent, of the entire crop is destroyed every year by smut, 

 causing a loss of from $6,000,000 to $10,000,000. 



The smut of oats is easily recognized a little time before 

 the crop is ripe. Instead of the kernels are found small 

 masses of smut dust which have taken the place of the 

 grain. Sometimes these smut balls are covered by the 

 chaff, much as the kernel should be, and other times the 

 chaff is lacking and the smut fully exposed. 



While there are two kinds of smut in oats, both will 

 yield to the same treatment. Smut may be wholly pre- 

 vented by treating the seed with formalin, as described 

 for the treatment of wheat. It will also be effectually pre- 

 vented by the hot-water treatment. In either treatment 



