732 



Prevention of Bunt and Smut. 



[Nov., 



(a 40 per cent, solution of formaldehyde) should be used at the 

 rate of 1 pint to 40 gallons of water (J fluid ounce or one table- 

 spoonful to the gallon), care being taken to stir well while mixing. 

 The solution should be sprinkled over the seed and the heap 

 repeatedly turned over till all the grains are wetted. It will 

 probably be found that two gallons of the solution are required to 

 wet four bushels of wheat, but in no circumstances should the 

 solution be allowed to form pools under the heap, in which the 

 grain might soak, or germination may be reduced. After 

 shovelling, the grain should be placed in a heap and covered 

 with sacking moistened with the Formalin solution and left 

 covered for four hours. After that time it should be spread out 

 to dry and then sown as soon as possible. Precautions should 

 be taken that the wheat is not re-infected after pickling by being 

 placed in sacks which have held infected corn, or on a contami- 

 nated floor in a barn. 



Treatment for Barley and Oat Smuts. — To make the solition 

 1 pint of commercial Formalin should be poured into 20 gallons 

 of water and mixed thoroughly.* The grain may be sprinkled 

 with the solution, or steeped in it. For sprinkling it should be 

 placed in a heap on the floor and the solution should be poured 

 over it at the rate of 1 gallon to every four bushels. The heap 

 must be turned over repeatedly so as to moisten every grain 

 and should be covered over with sacking damped with the 

 solution for four hours, as recommended for wheat. If the 

 steeping method is preferred the grain should be soaked in the 

 solution for ten minutes, stirring it thoroughly meanwhile in 

 order to be certain that every grain is wetted. Infected grains 

 w^hich float to the surface should be skimmed off. It should 

 then be placed in a heap for four hours and covered with 

 sacking. 



After four hours the treated grain should be spread out in a 

 thin layer to dry, and then be sown as soon as possible. If 

 it is necessary to store the grain care should be taken that it 

 is not re-infected by being placed in smutty bags or on smutty 

 barn floors. 



* A still more dilute solution — 1 pint in 30 gallons — has given excellent 

 results in trials. See Salmon and Wormald, this Journal^ March, 1918, p. 1388. 



