Vol. LXI. No. 2721. 
NEW YOKE, MARCH 22, 1902. 
$1 PER YEAR 
THE OAT SMUT TAX. 
HOW TO KILL THE TAX COLLECTOR. 
How He Goes About His Work. 
The farmers of the United States who grow oats 
are annually taxed many millions of dollars in addi¬ 
tion to the “State, county and school taxes.” These 
taxes are paid quietly ana without grumbling. The 
Oat-smut tax is not paid in cash but in “tithes,” or 
larger portions taken before the crop is thrashed. 
Prof. Moore, of the Wisconsin Experiment Station, 
estimates the loss to Wisconsin farmers in 1901 from 
Oat smut at $6,387,500. This estimate is based on 
personal investigation in 173 localities in the State in 
16 counties, during the ripening season of oats. The 
per cent of smut found varied on the different farms 
from two to 45 per cent. This enormous sum, which, 
while it may not show actual loss to the growers, cer¬ 
tainly might have been largely saved, represents the 
value of all buildings of the University of Wisconsin, 
including those of the Agricultural College, and leav¬ 
ing a handsome sum for endowment. Were an effort 
made to collect this amount in taxes (cash) in a single 
year, it is probable that civil war would result. 
LIFE HISTORY OF THE OAT SMUT.—This in¬ 
sidious, destructive disease belongs to the lower order 
of plants termed fungi. A fungus is devoid of chloro¬ 
phyll, the green coloring matter found in higher 
plants, which, under the influence of sunlight, enables 
the plant to assimilate the inorganic elements of the 
soil to form plant tissues. The fungus then, not be¬ 
ing able to live from the soil, must depend upon other 
plants for its existence. This particular parasite de¬ 
velops only on the oat plant. The spores or dust-like 
bodies corresponding to the seeds of higher plants, are 
blown about by the wind at the blossoming time of 
oats, and thus find lodgement within the husks of the 
kernel. The following Spring, when the oat 
•kernel is planted, the spores germinate at the 
same time and under the same conditions as 
the oat seeds germinate, and send out delicate 
■threads that enter the young plant through the 
first leaf sheath. The growth of the fungus now 
keeps pace with the growth of the oat plant, 
sending its thread-like bodies, corresponding to 
the roots of higher plants, throughout the plant, 
finally forming its fruit or spores in the seed or 
kernels, transforming these into a mass of 
spores. Fig. 72, after Kellerman and Swingle, 
shows the appearance of the smutted heads at 
maturity. A casual observation of a field of 
oats at the time of ripening, is very likely to be 
deceiving as to the percentage of smutted heads. 
The affected plants do not usually grow as tall 
as the healthy ones and are apt to be over¬ 
looked. To those who wish to determine the 
percentage of smut in a field, the plan adopted 
by Prof. Moore is recommended. A barrel hoop 
is thrown so as to encircle as many stalks as 
possible. The whole number of stalks encircled 
by the hoop is first counted, and then the stalks 
having smutted heads are counted; this num¬ 
ber divided by the whole number, gives the per¬ 
centage of smutted heads. If this is repeated a 
number of times in different parts of the field, 
a fair estimate may be formed of the amount of 
smut. Another method is to cut a bundle of 
stalks and count the whole number, afterward 
selecting and counting the smutted heads. Fig. 
73 shows the results of one such count by Prof. 
Moore. Various methods of treatment of seed oats to 
prevent this loss have been promulgated in past years. 
The Jensen hot water method was popular for some 
time, but although this was reasonably effective if 
carefully done, the method was cumbersome and ex¬ 
pensive; so expensive, in fact, that it was not general¬ 
ly adopted. The newer method of treatment with 
formalin is now admitted to be more effective and 
much cheaper. By a thorough treatment of the seed 
oats with formalin, a crop may be insured absolutely 
SMUTTED HEADS 
free from smut, as the spores probably do not, in our 
climate, live over Winter in the ground. The method 
of treatment as described in Bulletin 91 of this Sta¬ 
tion follows: 
AVERAGE OF SMUTTED AND CLEAN GRAIN. Fig. 73 
If 50 bushels of seed oats are to be treated, secure 
from a drug store one pound or a pint of formalde¬ 
hyde (sometimes called formalin). Put into a barrel 
or cask 50 gallons of water and pour in the one pound 
of formaldehyde liquid to make the proper solution. 
Dip out about one-half of the solution into another 
cask in order to treat two sacks of oats at the same 
time, thus facilitating the work. Place about two 
bushels of oats in each of two gunny sacks or large 
bags and submerge the oats in the solution for 20 
minutes; then lift the sacks from the casks and let 
drain for a minute or two so as to save solution. 
Empty the oats on a thrashing floor or on a canvas 
to dry and proceed as before, using the same sacks 
for the remainder of the oats. The solution as used 
is not poisonous and will not injure the sacks or 
clothing coming in contact with it. Formaldehyde is 
a gas generated by burning wood alcohol. It is read¬ 
ily soluble in water, which will hold 40 per cent of it 
in solution. This solution is sold by most drug stores 
under the name of formaldehyde or formalin at about 
50 cents per pound. It is well to treat the seed oats 
two or three days before sowing to give ample time 
to dry. If the oats are shoveled over a few times it 
will facilitate the drying very much, and no difficulty 
will be experienced sowing with seeder or drill. The 
treated oats can be sown with a force-feed drill or 
seeder when quite damp, but the machine should be 
set so that it will indicate sowing about a peck more 
than the quantity desired per acre, as the oats are 
swollen and will not run quite as freely as dry oats. 
Drilling damp grain is not recommended except in 
emergencies; but it sometimes happens after the soil 
is properly fitted that the weather becomes threaten¬ 
ing, so that it is not wise to delay the sowing for even 
a day. While indoor germination tests seem to show a 
slight injury to the seeds as a result of this treat¬ 
ment, it is probable that no perceptible injury occurs 
when the seeds are planted in the usual manner. It 
is important that the seed oats should be soaked at 
least 20 minutes in order that the solution may pene¬ 
trate the husks, and thereby kill spores which might 
be enclosed therein as a result of infection at 
blossoming time. No injury to the seed will re¬ 
sult if soaked longer than 20 minutes in the 
standard solution (one pint to 50 gallons). A 
weaker solution than the above will not be ef¬ 
fective in destroying the spores even if the seed 
is allowed to remain in it longer than 20 min¬ 
utes. Serious injury to the seed may result if a 
stronger solution is used, and the Injury will he in 
direct proportion to the strength of the formula 
employed. The grower of plants, whether in the 
field, garden or greenhouse, is constantly bat¬ 
tling with untoward conditions, not the least 
of which are fungus diseases. Many of these 
are scarcely amenable to treatment, and the re¬ 
sulting loss is reckoned as inevitable. Until 
recent years Oat smut has been reckoned in this 
iist. At the present time, however, this dis¬ 
ease may be said to be wholly preventable, and 
it remains with the grower to decide whether 
or not he will continue to pay the “Oat-smut 
tax.” FREDERIC CRANEFIELD. 
R. N.-Y.—We have described the treatment 
for Oat smut again and again. Still come the 
calls for it—so we print Mr. Cranefield’s ar¬ 
ticle. It is as he says, a tax which no man 
should pay, and which would result in civil 
war if demanded by any human ruler. Mr. 
Cranefield advises soaking the seed in a barrel. 
We have obtained good results by spreading 
the oats on the floor, sprinkling with the solu¬ 
tion and then covering the piled-up grain with 
a blanket for an hour—then respreading for 
drying. By this method a large bulk of oats can be 
treated at one time, and we have found the results 
very satisfactory. The results in the field are very 
striking. Where the solution was not used on the 
seed smut arises like a smoke when the oats are cut 
