TIME OF SEEDING OATS 161 



remain until the oats are sown the following spring. When the oat 

 grain sprouts, the smut spore also germinates and infects the young 

 oat plant. It lives within the plant as a small thread-like parasite, 

 stunting the plant and turning the head into a mass of black spores. 



The smut is carried from one crop to another by spores attached 

 to the grain, and can be easily prevented by some treatment that 

 will destroy the spores but not injure the grain. Hot water, just hot 

 enough to kill the spores but not the grain, is used, 5 also a solution 

 of formalin. The latter is most easily applied. 



Formalin Treatment. Standard formalin is a 40 per cent solu- 

 tion of the gas formaldehyde in water. Be sure the solution is 

 standard strength. Use one pound of formalin to 40 gallons of 

 water. Spread out the oats on a floor or in a tight wagon box. 

 Apply the formalin solution with a sprinkling pot, shoveling over the 

 oats at the same time until all are thoroughly wet. It will require 

 about one gallon of solution to a bushel of oats. Then pile the oats 

 and cover with wet sacks for several hours. This is important, so 

 the strong fumes given off by the formalin may have full effect on 

 the smut spores. The oats are then spread out to dry. 



Time of Seeding Oats. In the United States very early sowing 

 is important. The reason appears to be, the need of oats for rather 

 humid and cool climatic conditions for normal development. The 

 more advanced the growth before the high temperature and drier 

 weather of midsummer comes, the better the quality and yield are 

 likely to be. Early maturing oats also avoid rust to some degree. 

 Experiments on time of sowing have been conducted at several 

 experiment stations. The sowings usually covered a period of six to 

 eight weeks, the first one, as soon as soil could be worked. In' the 

 United States the results have always favored the early sowings. 

 However, in northeastern Canada, and the northern oat-growing 

 sections in general, where the season is short and oats mature after 

 the midseason heat, early sowing is less important, medium sowing 

 doing as well. But going southward, early sowing becomes more and 

 more important. 



The principle is illustrated by an experiment from the Illinois 



8 For detailed directions regarding hot water for smut, see U. 53. 

 Farmers' Bulletin 250. 



11 



