Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1918 — Oats Smut Treatment Means Dollars. [ARTICLE]

Oats Smut Treatment Means Dollars.

Jasper county farmers can divide about $124,000 among themselves after harvest the coming summer if each man in the county who sows any oats this spring will treat his seed to prevent smut. Approximately 62,000 acres of oats were grown in this county last year and the average yield was 44 bushels to the acre, giving a total yield of 2,728,000 bushels. Providing this oats brought on,ly 50 cents per bushel, and the price is now near sl, it would mean an increased value of $124,000 to the crop in this county alone and three and a half million dollars to the entire state. Figures obtained from Purdue University shows that the average increased yield in thirty-five Indiana counties after seed has been treated., to prevent smut is four bushels to the acre. The total financial return for this county was based on this figure assuming that the increase would be the same here. However, the four bushel statement is merely the average, the actual figures varying from three to eleven bushels according to the county and the previous condition of the crop. The cost of treating the seed is only three cents an acre and the return $2 per acre on the average.