Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1916 — Oat Smut Prevention. [ARTICLE]

Oat Smut Prevention.

Washington, Feb. 17.—The average annual losses from smut in oats are greater than those caused by any other preventable cereal disease in the United States. Treating the seed with hot water or with formaldehyde solution before sowing is an easy, cheap and effective way of preventing this disease. The latter method, which is the one most available for general use, is here briefly summarized. Both methods are described in detail in Farmers’ Bulletin 507, which will be sent free on application to the secretary of agriculture, Washington D. C. Mix the formalin (a commercial preparation which is 37 per cent formaldehyde by weight) with water at the rate of one pound (a little less than a pint) to 40 gallons of water. The grain may be either loosely inclosed in sacks or put loose into a tub or vat with the solution. Agitate the sacks or stir the loose grain occasionally so that the entire surface of every grain will be thoroughly wet. Instead of being immersed the seed oats may be spread on a clean floor or canvass and sprinkled with the solution and shoveled over during the process so that they will be wet evenly as in the other method. Not over a gallon of solution will be needed for every bushel of dry grain. After sprinkling, shovel the seed into a pile, cover it with sacks wet with the solution, and allow it to stand for at IPast two hours before spreading it out to dry. Precautions: The oats may be seeded as soon as dry enough to run through the drill. If the seed is still moist, however, the drill must be set to sow more to the acre than if It is dry. The quantity which should be sown may be determined by measuring a given bulk before and after treatment and figuring the proportion of increase. After treating do not expose the seed to freezing until it is thoroughly dry. Do not allow the treated seed to come into contact with old sacks, bins or machinery in which there may be smut spores. If such must be used, scald them or wash them first with the formaldehyde solution.