

125 
SMUT IN OATS. 
During the growing season of 1884 and 1885 an attempt 
was made to determine to what extent smut existed in our 
oat fields, and in different varieties, and methods were 
tried to lessen the loss caused by this vegetable parasite. 
The testimony was so conclusive that the loss from smut in 
our oat fields ig so very much more than is generally sup- 
posed, that the necessity of adopting means to prevent this 
became very apparent. Brewer states! that the oat crop in 
this country is seldom sufficiently diseased by smut to 
cause much loss, and little, if indeed any care appears to 
have been taken for its prevention. That there 1s a loss 
which is often very great, is to the contrary true. In 1884 
on the Station farm, investigations were made? which 
showed that a loss of nine and one-half per cent. in grain 
was caused by smut in the field. 
During the season of 1886 an attempt was made on the 
farm to determine how the losses of 1886 would correspond 
with those of 1884. Areas of ground in different parts of 
the field were carefully measured off, and the number of 
healthy and smutted heads growing thereon were carefully 
counted. The intention was to secure figures from plants 
growing on such different kinds of soil as the farm afforded, 
and under the various conditions so as to obtain a fair 
average. Plats were formed in the oat field by selecting 
ten rows side by side made by the grain drill, and measur- 
ing these off to the length of twenty feet each. All of the 
panicles in each row were counted, and also the diseased 
panicles in each of the same. In the following tables, 
giving the results of these notes the character of the ground 
upon which the ten rows grew is recorded, as well as the 
approximate height of the plants. The plats grown in the 
field on the farm are numbered as plats I, I, Il, etc. The 
general character of the soil is clayey loam. 
1Tenth Census of the U. 8., 1880. The Cereals, p. 116. 
?Third Annual Report N. Y. Ex. Station, 1884, p. 382. 


