196 
one of them. By better methods of farming, such as the improvement 
of varieties, crop rotation, the prevention of rust and smut, proper use 
of plant foods, etc., the average yield could in all probability be raised 
to 20 bushels per acre at comparatively little additional expense. Such 
an increase would mean to our farmers more than $170,000,000, annu¬ 
ally. The rust problem, so far as it concerns the yield of grain, prob¬ 
ably exerts as great an influence as any one thing over which there is a 
possibility of control. It is important, therefore, that all phases of the 
subject be fully investigated as it is by this means only that proper con¬ 
clusions in regard to prevention can be reached. 
PLAN OF THE WORK. 
In planning the work on rust it seemed desirable at first to limit 
the investigations to two lines of research. These maybe briefly sum¬ 
marized as follows: 
(1) Experiments in spraying with various chemicals and in treating 
the soil and seed in various ways in the hope of preventing the disease. 
(2) Comparative studies of several so-called rust-resisting and non¬ 
rust-resisting varieties, to determine whether they possess more or less 
constant anatomical or physiological characteristics which may explain 
susceptibility or non susceptibility to the disease. 
This paper, as the title indicates, will deal with the first problem, 
i. e ., experiments in spraying and in soil and seed treatments to de¬ 
termine their effects on rust. At the outset it was decided to make an 
attempt to prevent rust without any special regard to expense, it being 
thought that the latter question could be considered later as a distinct 
problem. It is proper here to acknowledge the valuable assistance 
rendered by W. T. Swingle, P. H. Dorsett, and D. G. Fairchild. The 
experiments would doubtless have been largely under the supervision 
of Mr. Swingle but for the fact that more immediately important labors 
called him elsewhere. With but one exception all the treatments at 
Garrett Park, Md., were made by Mr. llorsett. He also collected the 
specimens at each treatment, made the many necessary tedious counts 
of plants, and harvested and threshed the grain. Mr. Fairchild aided 
materially in making out the formula} for fungicides and also assisted 
in other lines of work. 
In order that the work might be carried on under as widely different 
conditions of soil and climate as possible, Maryland and Kansas were 
selected as the States in which to make the experiments. In Maryland 
the work was carried on under tne supervision of the writer, while in 
Kansas a part was intrusted to J. F. Swingle, of Manhattan, and apart 
to E. Bartholomew, of Iiockport, 160 miles northwest of the former 
place. The experiments at the three stations were in most respects 
similar, but for the sake of convenience they will be described under 
separate heads. 
