464 Transactions of the American Institute. 



race. But we know, in a general way, tliat a regimen that produces 

 a vigorous and cheerful growth is the best preventive. Some farmers 

 have special treatment, the secret of which they will impart upon 

 application ; witness the following from 



George S. Smith, Burlington, N. J. — I read the report of the Far- 

 mers' Club with the greatest pleasure and profit. I read an article 

 by George Geddes about smut in wheat ; he did not give a sure pre- 

 ventive in all cases. I am ready and willing to send a recipe to any 

 one who will address me. I care not if the wheat is half smut, by 

 this process I can sow it and there will not be a head of smut in the 

 growing crop. It is simple and easily applied. I have tried it for 

 the last twenty years, and never saw a bit of smut in the wheat that 

 had been dressed, no matter how much smut there was in the seed. 

 I am willing to risk $1,000 that my recipe is unfailing with M'heat 

 that is a third smut. 



Mr. Oliver P. Stingill, Rumford, Oxford county, Me. — I think the 

 prime cause of smut in wheat is the spoiling of seed by either heating 

 moulding or sweating of the wheat in the stack, mow, or bin, after it 

 is harvested and before it is sown again. I think wheat used for 

 seed, if entirely free of the disease called smut, will not produce 

 smutty wheat from any condition of the atmosphere or soil. If the 

 above conclusions are correct we shall readily come to the opinion 

 that, to prevent the growth of smut in wheat, we must take particu- 

 lar care in harvesting our wheat for seed. "We should have it well 

 ripened and dried before it is piit in the barn and grainei'y, and see 

 that it is kept free from damp, mould or smutty wheat. It is evi- 

 dent that smut will propagate smut by contagion when mixed with 

 the wheat and sown together. Hence some of the remedies recom- 

 mended will be found very useful in checking or preventing the 

 disease or fungus when smutty or damaged wheat is sown. But the 

 sure way is to sow wheat that is entirely sound, free of all damp, 

 mould or damage, and all contagion of smutty wheat. Some twenty- 

 five years ago I was engaged in grinding wheat, and was much trou- 

 bled with smutty wheat. One of my patrons always brought me 

 clean wheat free of smut, and his neighbor always raised wheat more 

 or less smutty on the same kind of land, their farms adjoining. 

 Noting this fact, I asked tlie first named how^ he managed to grow 

 wheat free of smut and his neighbor smutty wheat. He said his 

 practice was to cut his wheat when ripe and shook it in the field 

 until dry j then put it in the barn, where it would keep and remain 



