62 



SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS 



— Loose Smut op 

 Wheat. 



destroyed than the organism 

 causing concealed smut of wheat 

 or the loose smut of oats. Treat- 

 ment is not recommended imless 

 the disease has been injuriously- 

 present in the crop from which 

 seed is taken. When treatment 

 is necessary, it kills many of the 

 seed, so that 50 per cent addi- 

 tional seed should be sown. 



The treatment when necessary 

 is as follows: Soak the seed 

 wheat for 4 hours in cold water ; 

 then scald for 5 minutes at a 

 temperature of 133° F. 



In treating seed wheat or other 

 seed grain by any of the above- 

 named methods, the grain after 

 treatment should not be allowed 

 to come in contact with floors or 

 sacks that have not been dis- 

 infected; such contact would 

 again infect the treated grain 

 with spores, which would cause 

 the disease. 



67. Insect pests of wheat. — 

 The Hessian fly is the most seri- 

 ous of insect pests and is widely 

 spread. From the egg, laid on 

 the leaf blades of the young 

 plants, hatch tiny insects which 



