e 1-4 
“THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 30, 
THE SMUT DISEASE IN GRAIN. 
We have often described the method of treating seed 
wheat and oats to destroy the germs of smut. A bul¬ 
letin from the North Dakota Experiment Station 
(Fargo) gives a very good study of the matter. 
Xearly everyone who has worked near a thrashing 
machine knows how smut looks and feels. There is 
i 2 3 4 
EFFECT OF SMUT ON YIELD. Fig. 199. 
Photograph of bundles of wheat taken from equal distances of 
drill row. The seeil for each of these crops was exactly the same, 
thoroughly smutty. It was planted the same day in the same drill, 
in rows running side by side. (1) Smutty wheat simply washed in 
running tap water before planting: (2) Same wheat treated with 
standard formaldehyde method before planting: (2) Sample of 
wheat known to i>e free from smut, treated with two-year old smut 
spores. The sample showed 2K smutty heads at harvest time. Seed 
untreated before planting. (4) Same seed.as that used in No. 2, both 
being thoroughly smutty, and in each case with one year old smut 
spores. Seed untreated before planting produced 34# of smutted 
heads, while crop No. 2 from the treated seed was free from smut. 
Crop in all cases short, due to drouth, but smut accounts for the 
comparative inequality in bundles. 
something very disgusting about the thick, black dust 
which pours out of the machine, and it is easy to 
see that the disease reduces the yield by dwarfing 
the plants and stunting the grain. 
The history of the struggle with these grain smuts 
shows the need of knowing what these diseases are 
and how they spread. Their habits are fixed, and 
when we know just how they develop, a treatment 
can be planned. It was found that the worst smuts 
of wheat and oats start from the grain. For years it 
was thought 4jy many that the condition known as 
smut might he due to poor soil or to certain changes 
in the air or weather. It has now been definitely 
proved that the germs of the smut disea.-e are in the 
seed. One of the worst, known as stinking smut of 
wheat, acts so rapidly that from one to four days 
after germination, the germs or spores which go into 
the ground on the 'seed begin to grow through the 
plant. The pictures. Figs. 199, 200 and 201, taken from 
the bulletin, show that the disease begins its work 
early and dwarfs the plant. When these disease'germs 
can be destroyed before the seed goes into the ground 
the plant will be free to grow unmolested, for no more 
germs will be ripened until the smut ball, which most 
of us have seen on the ripened grain, is formed. 
Notice how much larger the plants are where the seed 
was treated with formalin, and also the difference in 
the ripened grain. 
When it became known that the disease germs were 
found in the seed the plan of killing them was easy. 
This was to wet the seed with something which would 
kill the germs without injury to the seed. Various 
things, such as sulphate of copper, hot water, etc., 
have been tried, but probably the most practical is a 
solution of formaldehyde or formalin in water. The 
usual strength is one pound of formalin (16 ounces) 
to 40 or 50 gallons of water. The formalin is a liquid 
and mixes easily. Our own plan is to spread the oats 
or wheat on the floor and sprinkle with the liquid. 
This can he poured in through the rose of a sprinkling 
pot, or blown on through a sprayer. The object is 
to moisten each seed grain without getting the pile too 
wet. The grain is then shovelled into a pile and cov¬ 
ered for two hours with a blanket. The gas given off 
by this liquid will penetrate all through the pile of 
grain and destroy the disease germs. Then when the 
seed is dried it can be drilled or broadcast. In some 
cases the seed is bagged and dipped into the liquid. 
In others it is poured from one bag to another and 
sprayed as it runs. The object is the same—to mois¬ 
ten each grain with the formalin solution. When this 
is well done the effect is almost magical. As no 
germs are left there can be no disease, and the grain 
grows freely, without smut. This may seem like a 
strong statement to those who have seen the clouds 
of black smut rising from the thrasher, but it is a fact 
that when the seed is properly treated the crop will 
be free. This treatment is simple and does not cost 
much. Any farmer can prove to his satisfaction that 
the smut disease can be killed in the seed. 
THE SOY BEAN. 
A Promising Forage Crop of Value. 
Part II. 
As nitrogen gatherers I think few plants will equal 
the Soy bean. Its roots are covered with nodules. 
Sometimes these nodules are as large as Lima beans, 
and they should always be as large as a garden pea. 
If this plant be turned under for fertilizing purposes, 
especially if one of the large growing varieties be 
used, I know of no plant that would excel it. When 
grown for seed, most varieties will drop their leaves 
before the seed is ripe; these leaves, of course, en¬ 
riching the soil. I think that on any ordinary soil, 
with the new improved varieties, farmers should ex¬ 
pect from 15 to 20 or 25 bushels of seed,, or from 
two to 3*4 tons dry hay per acre. I have a theory, 
which at present is theory only, that the plant may 
be made extremely useful for silage. In another year 
or so, I expect to try this on a good-sized scale. 
Some varieties make both a large amount of forage 
and a large amount of grain, and in addition will hold 
their leaves until the grain is nearly ripe. I think 
that these varieties cut just before the leaves begin 
to fall, and possibly mixed with moderate amounts of 
corn (say in the proportion of two parts Soy beans 
to one of corn) would not only make a large amount 
of very rich silage, but would be readily eaten and 
easily digested, and we would thereby get the greatest 
possible amount of feed from a given acreage. 
As to varieties, 1 agree with Mr. Piper on prac¬ 
tically everything I have tested so far. Many of the 
new varieties are only in the experimental stage, and 
probably few of them are at present produced in quan- 
YOUNG WHEAT PLANT-SEED TREATED FOR SMUT. 
Fig. 200. 
tities sufficient to place them on the market, but no 
doubt, within a few years, the Government will have 
some surplus for sale. The I to San, our old standby, 
is no doubt about as good as any variety for extreme 
northern conditions, where it is necessary to mature 
the seed in 90 days. It would furnish only about 1% 
ton dry forage per acre. The Medium Early Green 
is one of the oldest varieties, makes an excellent yield, 
both of beans and forage, but it seems to be practically 
impossible to harvest the crop in such manner as not 
to lose half the grain, and this reduces the yield to 
only a moderate amount. 
So far, our tests show no bean that is any better 
for grain than the Medium Early Yellow. This variety 
has very sturdy plants, a trifle too coarse for forage, a 
medium-sized bean, which does not shatter badly when 
harvested. It yields abundantly, and its habit is good. 
The plants stand erect enough, so that it is no difficulty 
whatever to harvest with a mowing machine. The 
Meyer •sometimes produces enormous quantities of 
forage, occasional plants being six feet tall, but its 
habit is poor, being half recumbent. The yield of 
grain is only moderate. The Tokio produces the 
largest amount of forage of any bean I have ever tried, 
but when grain is desired it is entirely too late for this 
latitude. The Brownie is almost identical with the 
Ito San. The Haberlandt is very similar to the Meyer, 
although having a trifle better habit—that is, a more 
erect growth. The Guelph is an early variety, ma- 
turning with the Ito San. but having a rather better 
habit. The Nuttal has a good habit, although the 
vines are a trifle coarse for forage, the amount of 
beans produced being smaller by our tests than some 
of our other best varieties. The beans also shatter 
somewhat worse in harvesting than our other varieties. 
The Morse is similar; it is about as late in maturing 
as we dare to have in this latitude, probably requiring 
130 to 140 days, and the yield of beans is about the 
same as that of Nuttal. A variety with which I am 
very well pleased is the Jet. It will probably produce 
a trifle smaller amount of grain than the Medium 
Early Yellow, but its habit is simply perfect, the plant 
growing perfectly erect and branching out five or six 
inches above the ground, the main stem being sturdy 
and each branch long and slender, making it well 
adapted for forage. It would probably mature safely 
even a good deal north of this latitude, as it has two 
or three weeks to spare. It would probably make three 
tons per acre of dry hay, and no doubt would have 
little trouble in making a yield of 20 bushels of grain. 
Another of my favorites is the Cloud. This bean is 
very similar to the Jet, excepting that it is from two 
to three weeks later in maturing. It will produce a 
little heavier crop both of beans and forage than the 
Jet, has equally good habits and retains many of its 
leaves until the grain is perfectly ripe. I have tested 
other varieties, but have found none of them of suf¬ 
ficient merit to be enumerated here. 
Briefly then, I feel positive not only that the Soy 
bean has come to-stay, but that its growth is still in 
its infancy, and I rather think that in 10 years from 
now it will be a very important crop. I think that as 
a grain producer it will compare favorably with any 
crop we have; that both in quantity and quality of 
forage it is not greatly excelled by any plant, with 
the exception of Alfalfa. Its fertilizing qualities are 
of the very best, and it may be used for silage with 
profitable results. I advise farmers, however, to grow 
it only in a moderate way for a year or two, because, 
while not especially difficult to grow, it has some pe¬ 
culiarities which should be thoroughly understood 
before attempting its extensive cultivation, and T would 
advise farmers to investigate individual varieties, and 
to be sure that they get something of the best when 
purchasing. It will prcbablv be several years before 
these new varieties will he placed on the market in any 
considerable amounts, but with the interest that is now 
being taken in this plant, I think that in a short time 
it will -be possible to obtain seed from the very best 
of the varieties which I have mentioned, rfs well as 
from some of the other choice varieties with which the 
Government is experimenting. ciias. b. wing. 
AGRICULTURE IN ARGENTINA. 
Few of us realize how. rapidly the Argentine Re¬ 
public is developing as an agricultural country. Its 
chief city, Buenos Ayres, is now but a little smaller 
than Philadelphia. For years Argentina lids been 
exporting meat and wheat, and now has corn for 
sale. Two years ago corn from that country was 
brought to New York and sold at a fair margin. 
This South American republic has attracted a large 
immigration from Southern Europe, and, on the whole, 
a higher class of individuals than have come here. 
The greatest reason for the prosperity of Argentina 
is the rapid growth of Alfalfa culture. This wonder¬ 
ful plant is at home in the South, and it has done 
great things for the soil and all that it produces. The 
great business of the next century will be the econom¬ 
ical production of food and fibre. The farm or the 
SEED UNTREATED—PLANTED SAME DAY. Fig. 201. 
county or State or nation which can do most with 
the culture of Alfalfa and similar crops will lead 
the race. _ 
lx parts of England ditching contests between farm 
laborers are popular, and they ought to be profitable. 
Rut how many rapid Americans would desert a ball game 
for a ditching contest? 
