The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 15, 1918, Page 16

Eradicate_Sn;at and Save $100,000,000 - Goverment Agents in Northwest Grain Conservation Campaign Estimate ‘ That the Annual Loss in This Country From Pest IMUT treatment of ‘all seed grain is being urged upon Northwestern farmers by the federal govern- ment this year for the first timein the effort to in- crease the yield by every possible bushel. It is roughly estimated by those who have given some attention to the question, that the loss in Min- nesota alone in 1917 was $4,000,000 on account of smut, and that the an- nual loss in the entire. United States from this cause is $100,000,000. On a percentage basis, the loss is figured - at 4 to b per cent of the crop. In Kansas a much more thorough study of s:aut has been made than in other parts of the country, and it is said that the loss in that state can be estimated with fair accuracy and totals about $10,000,000. With these facts in mind, congress has made available for this season an appropri- ation with which to fight the smut evil, and. government agents are be- ing sent into the grain growing dis- tricts to stimulate treatment, and spur up the county agents to give farmers assistance along this line. TWENTY PER CENT OF FARMERS TREAT GRAIN Most farmers are familiar . with smut in grain, even where. it is not recognized as a serious crop menace, but the number of those who regularly treat their seed is small, estimated to be around 15 to 20 per cent. If the other 80 per cent would treat their grain, the total crop saving to the whole country can be readily fig- ured, for proper treatment, it is now recognized, will practically annihilate the pest. The treatment that government agents are recommending, and which " the Nonpartisan Leader was request- ed to urge upon its readers, is known as the “wet treatment” and is accom- -plished by sprinkling the seed with a formaldehyde solution. The seed should be sprinkled until thoroughly moist with a solution composed of one pint of féormaldehyde to 40 gallons of water, the grain being shoveled over and over repeatedly to distribute the moisture evenly. Forty gallons ‘of the solution will treat 60 bushels. In order to do the work most effective- " ly and with the least amount of labor, the grain should be shoveled into a pile and covered with sacks, canvas or blankets for two hours, or over night if preferred. This preserves the moisture, which meantime is per- meating the whole pile and not es- caping. To dry the grain preparatory to putting it in the drill, it should be spread out thin-on a floor of canvas and occasfenally stirred with a rake. The seed may be sown when dry enough to run freely through the drilly setting the drill to sow about two pecks more per acre than if it were not wet. This is to allow for the swollen condition of the grain. If the grain is to be stored after treatment for several days or longer, it should be dried thoroughly. DISINFECT ALL SACKS, DRILLS AND BINS A point that is particularly urged is that all sacks, bins and the drill should - be thoroughly disinfected. Wherever - smutty grain' has been stored or run through a drill, the spores of the smut fungus remain and will attack the treated, grain and go into the ground to destroy all the good results of treatment. - Sacks, bins and elevators wherever smutty grain has ever been stored are in- fected, and the farmer should see to it that his own sacks and granary and drill are free from the pest. Even the wagon box in which the grain is hauled to the field for distribution ought to be disinfected. There have been some other meth- ods of treating smut tried, and some of them have given good results un- der certain conditions, but the method ~ suggested here is the well tried one,, the one that most farmers follow when they treat their grain, and is certain to give good results if thor- oughly applied. OTHER PESTS KILLED AT THE SAME TIME Besides the smut proper that is killed by the formaldehyde, there are several other varieties of fungi that damage the crop more or less, that A CUE TO IOWA’S WEALTH The valueof Iowa’s corn crop for 1917 is estimated to have been $443,556,000 and the total value of her livestock for the same year, $534,312,000. These values were largely created by the silo, which connects the corn crop with the livestock in the most effective way. - New F eed Prices - A new schedule of margins has been established, says the food administra- tor, which should bring all feed to the consumer a;a maximum of $4.50 over . the mill price for the feed which in the case of bran has already been es- - tablished at 88 per cent of the cost of one.ton of clean wheat at the mill, with differentials for other grades of wheat mill feeds. After extended investigation the - food administration has alse deter-. mined that any sale of imported black- stzjap molqsges “{or bla'cksttgp - molas- ses produced in the United States from imported cane) at' a price of. more than 18 cents a gallon will re- turn the owmer an“unjust and un- reagsonable profit. This is the price in tank-cars at seaboard points, or at the point of origin carrying the same freight rate. Blackstrap molasses is used in the manufacture of over 1,700,000 tons of feedstuffs annually in the United States and the foregoing announce- ment is aimed at profiteering in this essential commodity. | -~ PAGE SIXTEEN - RN e o are likewise disposed of during the __ process. It is regarded as well proven that a thorough smut treatment will. increase the yield 4 to 5 per cent— that is save that per cent that would otherwise succumb to these various pests, including the smut. The cost of the treatment here sug- gested is slight. Formalin can be had at all drug stores at 40 cents a pint, and this quantity will make a solu- tion of 40 gallons, which is enough to disinfect 60 bushels of wheat. In other - words, the 40 cents will pay for enough of the disinfectant to purify the seed for a 40-acre field. The big- gest item is the labor, but it requires only about half a day, or perhaps a day where one has not a convenient place for doing the work. ; The need for making every acre and every bushel count this season is em- phasized by the government agent who is making headquarters at the University of Minnesota for a few weeks, to bring this matter before farmers while they are seeding. For information upon the question, farm- ers are referred to the county agricul- tural agents, and to bulletins that may be secured from the department of ag- riculture or from the agricultural col- leges of their respective states. Min- nesota agricultural bulletin, No, 16 handles this question. . ¥ SAVE ONE EXTRA PIG Much can be done yet to increase the pig crop by giving the sows the proper care between now and far- rowing time. Professor Shepperd of the ‘North Dakota experiment station suggests that the sows should be made to take some exercise and if it is available be fed some.alfalfa hay. en the sows should be accustomed to being handled. They will soon be- come quite gentle if not already so. Then one can care for them- at far- . rowing time—otherwise they are apt to be cross and ‘excited if one goes into their pen. customed to being handled will rather like to have some one around. The little pigs can be put in a basket and kept warm or even taken into a warm room till the farrowing is over and the sow is ready to care for them. In this way one pig per litter can easily be saved that would otherwise be lost. That means increasing the pig crop by 20 per cent. It will be profitable too as by next fall one of these little pigs: should be worth $30 to $40. If the sow is to be put into new quarters before farrowing, move her early enough so that she will have time to get accustomed to the pen. Use short straw or chaff for bedding. Fenders which consist of a 2 by 6 nailed to the wall five or six inches from the floor also help save: pigs as if the sow - should lie on them the little pigs will slide under the fender. More pigs are- needed and the above is one way to increase the crop. INOCULATION FOR ALFALFA When alfalfa is seeded for the first time inoculation must be provided in order to secure the best results. One of the best ways to inoculate is to use soil from a field growing alfalfa suc- cessfully and spreading it at the rate of 100 to 200 pounds per acre and harrowing or discing it in. It is a. good plan to apply this soil before sowing the alfalfa. The inoculation can also be secured from cultures that are applied to the seed. These do not always work but they are convenient. / War provides a stage where. all- “may play a’part. The sow that is ac- ~