1018 



Prevention of " Bi nt " in Wheat. 



[Feb.. 



the treatment on the vitality of the seed. The report received 

 was as follows : — 



Method of Treatment, Percentage of 



^ (jr emanation. 



Sample 1 1 per cent, copper sulphate 94 



n 2 2 '5„ n h n 86 



„ 3 Formalin 1:240 87 



„ 4 Untreated 96 



In August. 1919, plants were pulled from the centre of each 

 plot, tied into a bundle and labelled according to the plot from 

 which it was taken. From each bundle 100 ears were cut off at 

 random ; these were carefully examined and the ' ' bunted ' ' ears 

 separated from the sound ones and counted. The results were 

 so striking that it was decided to make duplicate countings for 

 confirmation, so another bundle of plants was pulled from each 

 plot, the plants in this instance being taken from the ends of 

 the plots. 



The results of the two series of countings were as follows : — 



No of Plot. 



1 



2 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 6 

 7 

 8 



Combining these results for an estimate of the percentage of 

 bunted ears according to the treatment the seed received, we 

 obtain : — 



1f j7 7 - rr ± . „, , No. of Bunted No. of Bunted Percentane 



Method of Treatment. Plot. ^ fa m Win 400. Bunted. 



Copper sulphate 1 per cent. 1 32) 



5 22 \ 



Copper sulphate 2'5 per cent. 2 4| g 9 .q 



„ „ „ „ 6 4) 



Formalin 1 : 240 3 > Q Q 



Untreated 4 120) m m 



8 110 f 



Field Experiments in 1920. — In the following season another 

 experiment was carried out in order to ascertain whether the 

 results obtained in 1919 were confirmed by further trials, and 

 also to determine whether a lower concentration of formalin 





Number of Bunted Ears in 100. 



Seed Treatment. 



From Centre 



From Ends 





of Plots. 



of Plots. 



1 per cent, copper sulphate 



17 



15 



2-5 „ „ 



3 



1 " 



Formalin 1 : 240 











Untreated 



49 



71 



1 per cent, copper sulphate 



16 



6 





4 







Formalin 1:240 











Untreated 



55 



55 



