ALNS BULLETIN 734, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
SUMMARY. 
The results of this preliminary investigation show that a disease of 
wheat comparatively new to this country and to the grain trade is 
established in certain areas of the United States, particularly in cer-_ 
tain sections of Virginia. This disease not only reduces yields per 
acre but also seriously affects market grades and milling qualities of 
marketed wheat, on account of the presence in the grain of a pecul- 
iarlv misshapen black gall, which can be removed only with diffi- 
culty and which is the resting place of the invading organisms. 
The presence of the galls in a parcel of wheat reduces the market 
grade in several ways. Its presence reduces the test weight per 
bushel because of its lighter weight. It also increases the amount of 
dockage and particularly the amount of foreign material other than 
dockage in any given lot of infected grain. 
Flour yield from such infected wheat is reduced, and the per- 
centage of low-grade flour and shorts is increased. Ordinary wheat- 
cleaning machinery will not remove these galls successfully, although 
machinery for washing and drying wheat will no doubt be successful. 
The best known methods of control are crop rotation and clean 
seed. To kill the nematode larve, infected seed may be treated by 
the hot-water treatment used for the control of smut to kill the nema- 
tode larve. The easiest method and the least dangerous practice to 
obtain clean seed is to float the galls away from the sound wheat by 
means of water. | 
ADDITIONAL COPIES 
OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM 
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
AT 
5 CENTS PER COPY 
V 
