28 
Colorado Experiment Station 
2. Use good strong gunny sacks that allow water to pass 
through to the grain, 
3. It is well to have some kind of stove or fireplace to heat the 
water, as it must be kept at nearly constant temperature. 
4. The seed is to be soaked 4 or 5 hours in water at a tempera¬ 
ture of 68° F., to 86° F., and then followed by hot water treatment 
with the temperature at 124° to 125° F., for ten minutes. The tem¬ 
perature should never be below 122° F., or above 129° F. 
5. It is well to have two barrels for water of the two tempera¬ 
tures, together with hot and cold water close at hand. 
6. Fill grain sack one-half to three-quarters full with grain to 
be treated and allow plenty of room in each sack for grain to move 
back and forth. Immerse in barrel with water at 86° F., for four 
liours; add hot water as needed to maintain this temperature. 
7. Into a second barrel pour hot water and bring it to a tem¬ 
perature of 112° F., then remove the grain to this barrel, leaving 
there 15 or 20 minutes. 
8. Meanwhile, prepare a third barrel with water at 129° F 
Place the grain in this barrel and carefully watch the temperature, 
as it will become lower a few degrees, but should not be permitted to 
go below 122° F. It is best if kept at 125° F., but should never be 
lower than 122° nor higher than 129° F. The former fails to de¬ 
stroy the fungus, while the latter very seriously injures the germi¬ 
nation of the grain. Keep in this barrel for 10 minutes. 
9. Especial care must be taken to thoroughly dry the grain 
after treatment; this is one of the greatest drawbacks of the whole 
treatment. If possible, use sunshine, air currents and shoveling 
to get it well dried. 
Oats. 
Loose and Closed Smut. The common smut of oats is loose and 
is very similar to stinking smut of wheat. It appears at heading 
time and is conspicuous by the darkened smutted grains and chaff. 
Smut spores are easily blown away, leaving the oat plant bare. 
The spores lodge on healthy grains and are carried over winter 
clinging to the outside of the seed. 
Control: 
The formalin method described for stinking smut of wheat is 
to be used for the prevention of oat smuts. Either the steeping or 
sprinkle method may be used. 
Barley. 
Closed Smut. At maturity the smut masses are enclosed by a 
thin covering which gives a dark color to affected heads. Spore 
masses are broken up in threshing and healthy seed becomes con¬ 
taminated. As a result, the crop grown from such seed will contain 
smut unless the seed is sterilized. 
