THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February 26 
138 
tractum pancreatis, 56 ; trypsin, 49; enzymol, 54; 
diastasic essence of pancreas, 46. The diastase does 
not make so good a showing in this lot, but these 
seeds were comparatively fresh (mostly only five years 
old), and the germinations are comparatively even. 
4. The enzym treatments have, thus far, given most 
conspicuous help to tomato seeds, hut we have not tried 
other species so often. Cabbage, radish, cucumber and 
other seeds have shown favorable reactions. Theoreti¬ 
cally, any old seeds ought to be benefited by the appli¬ 
cation of enzyms, if the right enzym or combination 
of enzyms can be determined ; but this is a large prob¬ 
lem, and not yet solved. 
5. We soak the seeds 24 hours (usually) in just enough 
of the solution to cover them. They are immediately 
planted. 
6. We make our diastase from malt. We grind the 
malt, soak it in water, strain off the liquid, and apply 
as already stated. Five parts of malt are used to 100 
parts of water. Thus it would require about three 
pounds of malt, worth five to ten cents, to make two 
gallons of liquid, which would treat 10 pounds of 
tomato seed, which would plant 40 acres ! This could 
hardly be called excessive. The cost would vary 
greatly with other seeds and other enzyms, but would 
never be great. 
7. It is quite too soon to say ; we hope so. The ease 
and cheapness of the treatment leave nothing to be 
demonstrated but its success in practical use. There 
are so many things that we do not yet know about 
the subject, that we are inclined not to hope to per¬ 
fect any practical application of the theory for some 
time. It is, however, a very interesting theory, and 
has many possible applications besides that of the re¬ 
juvenescence of old seeds. F. a. waugh. 
Vermont Experiment Station. 
SOAKING SEED TO PREVENT DISEASE. 
Treatment for Potato Scab. —The scab of potatoes 
may, in most cases, be prevented by soaking the seed 
in a solution of corrosive sublimate. This remedy has 
been in use for several years, and has been so gener¬ 
ally successful that there can be no hesitation in rec¬ 
ommending it as thoroughly reliable. The chief ob¬ 
jection to its use is its intensely poisonous nature. For 
this reason, great caution should be used to prevent 
the solution from poisoning the food or drink of any 
animal, but at the strength here recommended, it may 
be used to disinfect wounds. The solution should not 
come in contact with metal, and should be prepared 
in earthenware or wooden vessels. 
Formula. —Dissolve two ounces of corrosive subli¬ 
mate in water, and dilute to 15 gallons. In this solu¬ 
tion, soak the seed potatoes for 1)4 hour, then cut and 
plant. After the seed has been soaked, do not put it 
in boxes or other receptacles in which scabby potatoes 
have been kept. The scab fungus is capable of living 
year after year in the soil and, in some cases, the soil 
has become so filled with it that, when potatoes are 
grown therein, little benefit is derived from soaking 
the seed. In all ordinary cases, soaking the seed as 
directed will prevent the crop from being scabby. 
Where the soil is badly infested, Prof. Halsted has 
secured good results by sprinkling sulphur in the open 
furrow at the rate of 300 pounds per acre. Prof. Arthur 
has prevented the scab by soaking the seed potatoes 
for two hours in formalin, using eight ounces to 15 
gallons of water. This may be prepared in any kind 
of vessel, and has a great advantage in that it is not 
poisonous. In purchasing the formalin, ask for the 
40 per cent formaldehyde gas, which is the name under 
which formalin is kept by wholesale chemists. 
Treatment for Oat Smut. —The Jensen hot-water 
treatment has been known for several years as a prac¬ 
tically perfect preventive of grain smut. At the 
Geneva Station, Close (Close, C. P. Results with Oat 
Smuts in 1897. Bulletin 131, New York Experiment 
Station, December, 1897) compared the Jensen hot- 
water treatment with four other remedies, namely, 
potassium sulphide, Ceres powder, lysol. and forma¬ 
lin. The following table gives the cost per bushel of 
seed for the chemicals in the treatments wfiich en¬ 
tirely prevented the smut at the least cost. Allowing 
2)4 bushels of seed per acre, it is seen that, at the 
price given in the table, Oat smut was entirely pre¬ 
vented at a cost for material of 3J4 cents per acre, by 
soaking in two-tenths per cent formalin : 
COST OF CHEMICALS FOR PREVENTING OAT SMUT. 
Material. Sprinkling. Soaking. 
Strength 
Cost 
Strength 
Length 
Cost 
of solu- 
per 
of solu- 
of 
per 
tion. 
bush. 
tion. 
time. 
bush. 
Percent. 
Cents. 
Percent. 
Hours. 
Cents. 
Lysol. 
1 
5 
0.3 
1 
2.7 
Formalin. 
1 
4 
0.2 
1 
1.4 
Potassium sulphide. 
— 
— 
2 . 
1.5 
5.4 
Ceres powder. 
— 
— 
4. 
0.5 
39.6 
Fig. 48 shows a design by Prof. Close for a trough 
to be used in soaking the grain. The dimensions are 
2x2x8 feet. To fill it 18 inches deep requires 20 
bushels of grain. Ten gallons of liquid cover the 
bottom one inch deep. The capacity of the trough 
is 240 gallons. The faucet is used for drawing off 
the liquid after the grain has been soaked. The 
liquid may be used over and over indefinitely, except 
that the Ceres powder and the potassium sulphide 
should not be used more than three times. 
The hot-water treatment is used for Stinking smut 
of wheat, as well as for Oat smut. The grain is first 
dipped in warm water at about 120 degrees, to warm 
it; then it is soaked in water at 133 degrees, for ten 
minutes. The temperature should not be allowed to 
drop below 132 degrees, and it may rise to 135 degrees, 
but if kept at 135 degrees, the time for soaking should 
be made correspondingly shorter. Barley smut re¬ 
quires treatment with hot water at 130 degrees for five 
minutes, after being soaked in cold water for four 
hours. After the grain has been treated, it should 
not be put in any place where smutted grain has been, 
or where the smut powder may have lodged. 
New York Experiment Station. 8 . A. beach. 
R. N.-Y.—Another simple method of soaking the 
seed is shown at Fig. 49. This is the plan operated 
by Mr. L. D. Gale, a western New York farmer. The 
potatoes are put into a barrel, and the solution is 
poured over them. After standing an hour, the solu¬ 
tion is drawn off through the faucet, and the potatoes 
can then be tipped out into a crate. 
THE PLANT DOCTOR. 
WHAT AILS THE CROPS? 
What Can We Do for Them ? 
Bodily ailments, either of man or beast, are soon 
prescribed for by those who make such disease a study. 
With plants, there is greater difficulty ; we see a fad¬ 
ing leaf or blighted flower, without recognition of its 
needs, or knowledge of its danger. We even look 
upon such diseases as inevitable, whereas they are 
often but the outward indication of a hidden condition. 
One of our plants may be suffering from a disease as 
infectious as confluent smallpox, and be allowed to 
remain, a menace to the plant world, instead of being 
put under quarantine. Just as improper sanitary con¬ 
ditions lead to epidemics in the animal world, so care¬ 
less cultivation and unfavorable weather affect our 
crops. The best way to cure plant diseases is to pre¬ 
vent them. . The plant doctor here prescribes for some 
of our commonest plant ailments. 
Potatoes. 
Early blight of potatoes is a disease little understood 
as yet, though its progress is entirely distinct from 
Late blight. Very often, the disease starts around 
HANDY PLAN FOR SOAKING SEED POTATOES. Fig. 49. 
the punctures made by Flea-beetles, the affected por¬ 
tion forming rings of darker color, which gradually 
turn brown, and die. The edges of the leaves are 
much affected. The blight spots increase in size until 
they run together, the entire leaf being affected. The 
edges curl up, and the leaf turns from yellow to brown, 
and finally dies. The potatoes do not rot, but remain 
small. The trouble, which usually shows in July, is 
most severe upon mature plants, and spreads most 
rapidly during drought, in which respect it differs 
from Late blight. While the disease would, doubtless, 
affect plants which were not injured by insects, it 
appears most severe where the Flea-beetle is preva¬ 
lent, another reminder of the fact that, with plants as 
with animals, anything that lowers the general health 
invites specific disease. For Early blight, spraying 
the vines with Bordeaux Mixture of normal strength 
is advised, the first application being made for early 
varieties, in June ; for medium varieties, from July 1 
to July 15, and for late varieties, the end of July. 
Three applications should be made, at intervals of 
two to four weeks. The spraying must be thoroughly 
done. The following is the formula for Bordeaux 
Mixture, normal strength : Copper sulphate, six 
pounds; quicklime, four pounds; water, 45 gallons. 
The Oklahoma Experiment Station gives the follow¬ 
ing simple directions for the proper mixing of this 
fungicide: 
Take one head out of a 50-gallon vinegar barrel, and half fill 
with water. Tie up six pounds of blue stone in a piece of gunny 
sacking, and suspend it from a stick across the top of the barrel, 
beneath the surface of the water. In another vessel, slake four 
pounds of lime to a smooth paste free from lumps and grit. When 
the smooth paste is obtained, add enough water to make 25 gal¬ 
lons. This is called milk of lime, and nmst be well stirred before 
using. It will be found very convenient to cut a 50-gallon barrel 
in two, making two 25-gallon tubs. Having a 50-gallon barrel 
empty, each of two persons should take a bucket and into the 
barrel one should pour milk of lime, while the other at the same 
time pours in the blue-stone solution. When all is mixed thor¬ 
oughly, a steel knife blade should be held in the solution for one 
minute and then examined. □ If the steelotakes on a copper color, 
more lime must be added, but if it does not, the preparation is 
ready for use. 
Late blight, also known as blight, rot, and Downy 
mildew, appears to be the most destructive of all 
potato troubles. Its first appearance is in the form of 
distinct brown spots upon the leaf; the affected por¬ 
tions may be small, or may extend over the entire 
leaf. Unlike the Early blight, which progresses 
slowly, and always in distinct circular spots, the Late 
blight is in irregular patches and progresses with 
great rapidity, especially during warm, damp weather, 
The under side of the leaf shows a frost-like appear¬ 
ance, the result of the spores, which is not present in 
Early blight. The tubers of the affected plants also 
suffer from the rot, causing great loss. This disease 
rarely appears before July, hence immunity may be 
obtained by treatment. Bordeaux Mixture should be 
used, the first treatment occurring about July 15, the 
spraying being repeated twice at intervals of one to 
three weeks. Bordeaux Mixture of “normal” strength 
is used, but the “ standard” formula is more effective, 
though applied with some difficulty. The formula.for 
this is copper sulphate, six pounds ; quicklime, four 
pounds ; water, 22 gallons. 
Bacterial blight is a disease sometimes affecting 
potatoes, which, tvithout any distinct discoloration of 
the foliage, causes the death of the entire plant. The 
tubers usually show a discolored patch upon the sur¬ 
face, followed by a soft rot. No remedy is given for 
this, except rotation of crops. 
Scab, a very common potato trouble, is caused by a 
fungus, and also, in one form, by an insect. This 
trouble may be communicated by unclean seed, and 
barnyard manure, lime and ashes are thought to in¬ 
crease it. Land in which the scab fungus is found 
should not be planted to potatoes. Scabby seed is 
cleaned by soaking it, before cutting, in corrosive sub¬ 
limate solution, one ounce of the poison in eight or 
nine gallons of water. Sulphur is also a preventive, 
being used at the rate of 300 pounds per acre, the cut 
seed being rolled in it, and the remainder of the 
sulphur being sprinkled in the row. 
Insect enemies most destructive to the potato are 
the Colorado beetle or Potato-bug (the destruction of 
this, with arsenites, being too well known to need 
repetition), and the Flea-beetle. The latter is a diffi¬ 
cult pest to cope with, no generally effective remedy 
being known. There appear to be several broods of the 
insects each season and, even if they do not destroy 
the foliage entirely, their punctures afford foothold 
for various fungi. Suggested remedies are the dusting 
of the young foliage, Avhile wet, with tobacco dust, 
lime, ashes or plaster. Kerosene emulsion and Bor¬ 
deaux Mixture, with the addition of soap, have been 
effective in some cases. The kerosene emulsion is made 
as follows: Hard soap, one-half pound : kerosene, 
two gallons; boiling soft water, one gallon. Dissolve 
the soap in the boiling water, then add the kerosene, 
and churn thoroughly together. Dilute with from 
5 to 20 parts of water. Never use hard water, as this 
prevents mixing. 
Cabbage. 
Club-root, also called club-foot or finger-and-toe, is 
the most serious fungous disease affecting cabbage. 
This disease causes numerous swellings upon the 
roots, sometimes all uniting into one large lump. 
Affected plants look weak and sickly, and are not in¬ 
clined to form into heads. The fungus causing the 
disease may remain active in the soil for several years. 
It appears impossible to use fungicides successfully to 
overcome this trouble, and the best plan is to starve 
the fungus out of the soil by growing other crops 
upon infested land. It is advised that cabbage or 
allied crops be not grown upon such land oftener than. 
