166 Mortier F. Barrus 



Hollman (1915:691) treated seed with 2.5- and 1.25-per-cent Chlor- 

 phenolquecksilber, with 1- and 2-per-cent sublimate, with 2.5- and 4- 

 per-cent formalin, with a tar preparation called " Kornerschutz," with 

 petroleum for thirty minutes, and with 2-per-cent copper sulfate, and 

 also with 1-per-cent bordeaux sprayed on the seeds. None of these 

 treatments were effective, the disease being serious in all plots. The 

 Chlorphenolquecksilber seemed to have the effect of stimulating the 

 plants to increased growth, so that they yielded more, in spite of the 

 disease, than did plants in other plots. 



Fischer (1919:249) discusses the results obtained by a number of 

 investigators with seed treatment. He says that Appel used 1-per-cent 

 sublimate; Renin and Vasters tried Chlorphenolquecksilber; Wahl tried 

 a new and water-free Chlorphenolquecksilber called " Uspulun "; Weirup 

 experimented with sublimate and later with Uspulun; Schander and 

 Krause treated badly affected seed, which when untreated gave but 

 19.3 per cent germination, with 1-per-cent sublimate for fifteen minutes, 

 resulting in 29.3 per cent germination; with 0.25-per-cent Chinosol for 

 three hours, resulting in 32 per cent germination; and with 5-per-cent 

 Uspulun for one and one-half hours, resulting in 46 per cent germination. 

 In no case, however, was there a satisfactory control of the disease, which 

 became general throughout all the plots. Even when an entire field at 

 the experiment station was planted with treated seed — in which case 

 infection could not have taken place from near-by plants from untreated 

 seed — the disease appeared just as severely as in fields planted with 

 untreated seed. Fischer concludes from these observations that seed 

 treatment of beans to control anthracnose has no practical value. 



Muncie (1917:26-37) treated seed for varying lengths of time with 

 chemicals of varying strengths, and with both dry heat and hot water. 

 The chemicals used were: mercuric chloride and sodium nitrate heated 

 to 55° C. (131° F.) and not heated; mercuric chloride alone; mercuric 

 chloride with oxalic acid; zinc chloride; formaldehyde solution as a dip 

 and sprinkled on seed; formaldehyde gas; copper sulfate with the addition 

 of sulfuric acid; and calcium hypochlorite. Both healthy seed, and 

 seed affected with anthracnose and with blight, were treated, and the 

 effect of the treatment on germination and on the pathogenes was noted. 

 It is seen from the results given that in none of the treatments was either 

 pathogene killed in all the seeds, except in those cases in which the 



