106 
oats. The grains were placed about an inch apart in the rows. 
From a very smutty lot of oats were collected grains of oats that 
were nothing but masses of smut. In row one, by the side of each 
healthy grain, was placed a grain of smut; in row two the number of 
grains of smut were increased to two, and in row three, four grains of 
smut surrounded each grain of oat. When the panicles had suffi- 
ciently developed, all were counted, after which the smutty panicles 
were counted. The following figures give the number of healthy 
panicles, smutty ones, and per centage of smut with each row: 
Row 1. One grain oat + one grain of smut. | Panicles 632 Smut 13 | Per ct. of smut 2.05 
Row 2. +e ee + two ee be ae 644 be 17 sé 4s 2.63 
Row 3. it +s four) ihe Fe s 554 Sy re16 ¥ ss 2.88 


Though the above figures show a clear per centage of gain, yet a 
comparatively slight one, such as will not warrant, in our estima- 
tion, the arriving at definite conclusions. 
In order to note the effect of so called preventives of smut, two 
different solutions were made, in which White Australian oats 
that had smutted badly the previous year, were soaked. ‘The first 
was a strong solution of water and copperas. The second a nitrate 
of potash solution, which consisted of one ounce of nitrate dissolved 
in one and one half pint of boiling water. The oats were soaked 
in separate lots in these solutions for about five minutes, ‘They 
were then taken out and dried in plaster. Four rows of each were 
planted, with the following results: 
Ot SS Se ee 
Per cent 
‘ ; Smutty " 
Row. Solution. No. of Panicles Panicles. of 
smut. 
1| Nitrate of Potash ---- 975 61 6.25 
Series iE 5 i a ee 833 56 6.72 
I. 3 #; We A a 725 88 12.13 
baer: Sik ag Alb eee ie 43 4.86 
iiCopperas sous =, sear 765 52 6.79 
Series } 2 O71 Jae nay PA 781 45 5.76 
IL. 2 of ber bgcagpe his Wee 903 53 5.86 
4 fe ee te Oe 0 792 40 5.05 

Summing up each, we find Series I produced 3519 panicles, of 
which 253 or 7,18 per cent. were smutty, while Series IL produced 
3241 panicles, 190 or 5.86 per cent. being smutty. The value of 
these figures, if they have any, may perhaps be questioned consid- 
ering the short duration the oats were soaked in their respective solu- 
tions. However, it is noticeable that a considerably smaller per 
centage of these oats were troubled with smut than were the White 
Australian in Series I of the first recorded experiment, though the 
seed all came from the same source. 
EXPERIMENTS IN SELECTION OF Oats. 
In the specimens of oats received at the Station designated as 
black, it has been noticed that the intensity of the black color was 
weak rather than strong. There were black, dun and nearly white 
oats to make up the quantity, and no matter what the variety, the 
color appeared about the same. Desiring to learn if the matter of 
