730 



Prevention of Bunt and Smut. 



[Nov., 



PREVENTION OF BUNT AND SMUT. 



The year 1921 stands out as remarkable for the early ripening 

 of wheat. Though the season suited few crops, it suited wheat, and 

 during the month of July crops of good quahty were anticipated. 



In spite of this promise, however, a rude shock was experienced 

 by unwary farmers at harvest by the discovery that Bunt or 

 Stinking Smut was present and had ruined a large portion of the 

 crop. It cannot be too strongly impressed upon the growers that 

 the bunt developed because the seed grain had not been pro- 

 perly pickled; if it had been dressed with Formalin as advised 

 by the Ministry, such disappointments would not have occurred. 



Everything that is possible should be done to prevent such 

 losses, the more so because the price of wheat is still falling. It 

 should be clearly understood that Bunt and also the allied dis- 

 eases. Loose Smut of Oats and Covered Smut of Barley, can he 

 thoroughly controlled. The most wideawake farmers realise 

 this and regularly use either the Formalin treatment or the 

 older, but less satisfactory Copper Sulphate method. To all who 

 are concerned in growing cereal crops the Ministry recommends 

 the perusal of Leaflets Nos. 92 (Bunt and Smut in Wheat) and 

 328 {Smut in Oats and Barley), whilst for fuller details as to 

 Bunt control the excellent article by Professor E. S. Salmon in 

 this Journal* should be studied. 



It may be worth while to record some of the actual figures as 

 to infected crops received by the Ministry during the past two 

 seasons, showing the appalhng loss farmers incur by the neglect 

 of pickhng. 



Omitting the minor cases, such as those in which 5 per cent, 

 of the crop is infected, which are very general, the following may 

 be instanced: — 25 per cent, in Herefordshire, 35 per cent, in 

 Shropshire, two cases of 40 per cent, in Cambridgeshire; in a 

 9-acre field in Lancashire 4 acres were attacked to the extent of 

 40 per cent, and the remainder 20 per cent. ; in another Lanca- 

 shire field 55 per cent, was attacked; 40 per cent, in a 7-acre 

 field in Gloucestershire ; 40-50 per cent, in Lincolnshire ; whilst 

 in some portions of badly attacked fields 70 per cent, was the 

 figure given. A final case just to hand may be cited. In a 

 northern county a chance sheaf of wheat was taken from the 

 binder and the ears counted : 525 were found affected with Bunt 

 and 565 free, i.e. 48 per cent, of the wheat was infected. Many 



~- This Journal, February, 1921. p. 1013. 



