VEGETABLE DISEASES ROUND TABLE 



197 



Following along the same idea of sterilizing a portion of the soil in 

 the immediate vicinity of onion seeds. Professor Selby of the Ohio 

 Experiment Station, in 1901, reports on the use of formalin for this 

 purpose. A drip attachment to the drill was developed by Professor 

 Selby which applies the diluted formahn as desired. I regret that I 

 have not such an outfit for exhibition here today. 



The past summer Mr. I. C. Jagger, a fellow in the department of 

 Plant Pathology, has made some comparisons of the various treat- 

 ments at Williamson, New York, the results of which may be of inter- 

 est. It should be remembered, however, that these are the results of a 

 single season, and it would be unwise to rely absolutely upon them 

 except in so far as they are a confirmation of results already obtained 

 by others. 



Oniox Smut Experiment at Williamson, 19 12 



Treatment Number of Computed average yield 



given rows treated per acre in bushels 



Sulphur 100 lbs. per acre 2 351 



Sulphur 100 lbs., lime 50 lbs 4 379 



Sulphur 200 lbs., lime 100 lbs 4 423 



Sulphur 400 lbs. , lime 200 lbs 2 605 



Formalin 150 gals., i % solution per acre 3 392 



Formalin 300 gals., i % solution per acre 3 497 



Untreated 6 200 



The difference between the yields from plats treated according to 

 the method of Sirrine and Stewart (sulphur 100 lbs. lime 50 lbs.) and 

 that from the plat treated according to Selby 's recommendation (150 

 gallons one per cent, formalin) is practically negligible, and is proba- 

 bly well within the range of experimental error, since the probable 

 error in this experiment is rather high. Either of the treatments gave 

 approximately one hundred eighty-five bushels increase per acre. 

 The cost of treatment per acre is as follows: 100 lbs. sulphur $1.50, 

 50 lbs. lime $.40, total $1.90; or 12 pints formalin of 40% strength 

 (1% formalin is one pint of formalin in 12 gallons of water) at 11 

 cts. per pint (in carboy lots) $1.32. The bother of application is 

 about the same in either case but depends somewhat upon the acces- 

 sibility of water for the formalin solution. 



Doubling the quantities of the fungicide should not receive too 

 serious consideration until after at least another year of experimenta- 

 tion. This work is to be continued by Mr. Jagger, and he is desirous 

 of starting a number of co-operative tests with growers. 



So much for the smut treatment of onions. I should be glad to 

 know of other places in the state where the smut occurs. • I haven't a 



