Cleaned, Treated and Tested Seed 
21 
necessary losses in the crop and caused no end of worry to the farmer 
himself. 'We should not forget to add to the slogan “Pure seed, and 
viable seed,” the third important essential, “clean seed,” because it 
is only through healthy seed that we may ever expect to harvest 
healthy crops and to insure maximum profits. Passing notice might 
well be given to the value of seed disinfection as it affects onty such 
diseases as the smuts. Below is a table showing in dollars and cents 
the possibilities in confronting smut in wheat, barley and oats alone: 
TABLE V.—LOSS FROM WHEAT, BARLEY AND OATS SMUT IN COLORADO 
Kind of Grain 
Year 
Total yield 
based on 
average 
Average % 
of smut in 
crop 
Average 
losses 
bushels 
Average 
loss for 
1 year, 
dollars 
Wheat .. . 
1909 
7,224,057 
6 
433,443.42 
910,230.30 
Barley . 
1909 
1,889,342 
5 
94,446.10 
113,363.00 
Oats . 
1909 
7,642,855 
5 
382,142.75 
247,142.00 
Total, $1,270,735.00 
Seeds As Carriers of Disease.— Some of the diseases most 
dreaded in farm crops are among those carried over on agri¬ 
cultural seeds. Together with the handling of clean seed comes 
the problem of clean soil. The latter is greatly influenced by 
the quality of seed sown. It has been shown that, at least for 
some sections of the United States, the use of bad seed and in¬ 
fested soil associated with constant cropping brings about soil-sick¬ 
ness for such crops as wheat, rye and barley, and perhaps many 
others. There is no doubt that poor yields in many cases are entirely 
the result of noxious diseases introduced to the soil and crop by means 
of infested seed. Bolley of the North Dakota Experiment Station, 
contends that many disease organisms attack the roots, leaves and 
stems of wheat and cause material damage to the crop. He believes 
they are the chief cause of failure of wheat to properly stool. Par¬ 
asitic diseases introduced into a soil are apt to persist year after year 
and do considerable damage, the amount of which depends upon the 
kinds of soil; and atmospheric conditions. In contact with the seed, 
these diseases are readily distributed from crop to crop and from sea¬ 
son to season. In fact, they may be so well protected within the shal¬ 
low parts of the seed or within the seed coats themselves as to effect 
distribution over long distances as from Europe to America, or vice 
versa. Disease germs thus concealed upon the seed may escape the 
most careful observer, so that the proof of bad seed appears first in 
the crop. Poor yields should arouse suspicion regarding the health of 
the seed; missing plants, shriveled grain, unusual yellowing of leaves, 
and dwarfing, all may easily be the result of fungi which gained foot¬ 
hold by the route of uncleaned seed. 
Clean seed, however, cannot insure a normal healthy crop when 
put into infected soils. We should not forget the soil problem in look¬ 
ing after that of the seed, and it is essential, therefore, that the con¬ 
dition of the soil in regard to the presence of disease should have con¬ 
sideration in determining the scheme of crop rotation. 
On the other hand, while one is using every effort to keep the 
