HOT WATER STEEPING OF SEED-CORN. 33 



greater germinative capacity, so that the plant has acquked a certain 

 development when the spores which have escaped the treatment 

 germinate. That is one reason in favour of steeping ; the other methods 

 of treating seed generally retard their germination. Steeping gave in 

 certain cases results which it had been impossible to obtain by sulphat- 

 ing (Kuhn'sj, and it is in such particular cases that its use is prescribed, 

 in spite of the difficulties of carrying it out which the farmer has to 

 face in a peculiarly complicated plant, and the minute practical care 

 required to secure a good result. B. Prevost was the first to observe 

 that steeping seed-corn in hot water diminished the power of contagion 

 of smut. In 1888 Jensen studied this treatment with great care 

 and perseverance. The researches of Kuhn and Sorauer in Germany, 

 J. Eriksson in Sweden, Linhart and Mezey in Hungary, Kellermann 

 and Swingle in America, Prillieux and Schribaux in France, confirmed 

 Jensen's very precise observations and conclusions. The follow- 

 ing, according to Eriksson, is the manner in which Jensen's method 

 should be applied on the large scale. The operation requires (1) A 

 boiler or large pot in which to boil water. (2) Three tubs : No. 1 for 

 hot water. No. 2 for tepid water. No. 3 for cold water. (3) Two 

 willow baskets, completely lined inside, including the lid, with bolting 

 cloth. (4) A thermometer. After having prepared a certain amount 

 of boiling water, 50 litres (11 gallons) are withdrawn and run into the 

 first tub, which is cooled to the desired temperature with 40-50 litres 

 (9-11 gallons) of cold water. In the second tub about 20 litres (4-4 

 gallons) of boiling water are mixed with 80 litres (17-6 gallons) of cold 

 water so as to get a temperature between 25° or 30° C. (57°-86° F.). 

 Cold water is run into the third tub. The seed to be treated is placed in 

 baskets, the lids of which are carefully closed so as to enable them to be 

 completely immersed. Each basket contains about half a bushel of seed. 

 After firmly attaching the basket to a stick it is plunged, first in the 

 cold water to moisten the grain completely, then the same operation 

 is repeated in the tepid water, taking care to raise up the basket and 

 re-dip it several times. Finally it is dipped for five minutes in the 

 hot water, raising and lowering the basket. The operation is finished, 

 and the grains so treated can be immediately sown by hand, or they 

 may well be spread out to dry. It goes without saying that it is neces- 

 sary to disinfect the boards on which the grain is spread perfectly, as 

 well as the bags to contain it, by hot water, bouillie bordelaise, or simply 

 a solution of sulphate of iron. With three men and two baskets 400- 

 500 litres (11-13^ bushels) of grain may be disinfected in an hour, at 

 the expense of 25 centimes per hectolitre, or about Id. a bushel. 

 Kellermann and Swingle have simplified this process by dispensing with 

 one of the three tubs, the cold water one. They only use a tub of water 

 at 43°-54° C. (109-4°-129-2° F.) and a tub of water at 56° C. (132-8° F.). 

 They use a basket of wire gauze of a capacity of 36 litres, say 8 gallons, 

 which they only half fill with grain or simply a canvas bag. They 

 first dip the basket for a minute in tepid water to warm the grain, 

 then fifteen minutes in hot water at 56° C. They consider it useless 

 alternately to raise and lower the basket into hot water. Each cereal 

 is attacked by one or several species of rust, and it is necessary to 



