194 



In addition to the data obtained from the test fields further reports 

 on the prevalence of oat smut were received from seven counties as shown 

 in the next table. The figures submitted in these reports were secured by 

 the county agricultural agents and other men who made, in most cases, 

 careful observations and counts of oat smut in their respective counties. 



TABLE 2. 



AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF SMUT FOUND IN THE OAT CROP OF 1914 IN SEVEN 



COUNTIES. 



County. 



Reported by. 



Average Per Cent, of Smut. 



Randolph C. A. Mahan . . 



Whitley W. C. Dilts. . . 



Montgomery R. A. Chitty. 



Starke , H. R. Smalley 



Lake S. J. Craig 



Gibson 



Jefferson 



H. F. Buk 



G. Culbeertson 



Average 



As shown in the table the average per cent, of smut reported from 

 the seven counties corresponds closely with the average figures from the 

 counties mentioned in Table 1. Leaving out the report from Laporte 

 County, which can not be considered representative owing to the high per 

 cent, of smut obtained in the single test, the grand average for the counties 

 under consideration is practically 13 per cent. This no doubt is a fairly 

 accurate figure representing the loss from oat smut in the State. It 

 corresponds closely with the estimate of Dr. Arthur who placed the loss 

 in the State, figured from general observations, from eight to twelve per 

 cent. 



According to the crop statistics, compiled by the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture. Indiana devotes annually about 1,735,000 acres 

 (average of 1909 to 1913 seasons i to the production of oats. The average 

 yield for the State has been about thirty bushels per acre. It may be 

 considered, therefore, that the average annual production of oats in In- 

 diana is. in round figures, about 52,000,000 bushels. Considering that smut 

 destroys about thirteen per cent, of the crop the above yield represents 



