1905.] Experiments with Blue-stone and Formalin. 289 



is put at 14/3 bushels per acre compared with 12*4 bushels 

 last year, indicating a total production of 424,400,000 bushels 

 against 332,935 bushels in 1904. The average condition of 

 spring wheat was 89.2 compared with 87.5 in August of the 

 previous year. The oat and barley crop are put at 90*8 and 

 89*5 respectively. 



Roimiania. — According to official reports quoted by Dornbiisch, 

 the yield of wheat is highly satisfactory as to quantity, but the 

 quality varies a good deal, so that the average is considered to be 

 rather inferior to that of last year. 



Canada. — According to a report in the Times, the official 

 estimate of the area under wheat in Manitoba is 2,644,000 acres, 

 and in the North West Territories 1,121,000 acres. Last year 

 the areas were 2,412,000 and 966,000 acres respectively. The 

 yield of spring wheat in the Territories is officially estimated 

 at 21,723,000 bushels compared with 16,723,000 bushels in 

 1904. 



Reference is made in the Board's Leaflet No. 92, on the 



prevention of bunt and smut, to the fact that barley and oats 



suffer somewhat seriously in germination 



Effect of when treated with blue-stone. Experiments 



Blue-stone and _ . . . . . : . , 



Formalin on on ™ s P olnt > which have been carried out 



Germination. by the University of Leeds at the Gar- 

 forth Experimental Farm (Bulletin No. 49) 

 show this to be the case when the solution is used at its full 

 strength. 



In the first experiment, conducted in 1902, one plot was 

 sown with untreated seed (barley), and a second plot with the 

 same quantity of seed which had been dressed with a solution 

 of blue-stone in the following proportions: — 1 lb. of blue-stone 

 in 1 gallon of water to 1 sack (4 bushels) of seed. 



It was noted that the plants from the pickled seed were slower 

 in coming through the ground, and that in the initial stages 

 of growth they had a rather sickly, yellowish appearance. In a 

 short time they recovered, and the pickling had the effect of 

 entirely preventing smut, with the result that the sample 

 from the pickled plot was decidedly the better from the 



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