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MICROCOPY RESOIUTION TEST CHART 
 
 (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No 2) 
 
 A 
 
 /1PPLIED IIVHGE 
 
 '6iJ tost Mam Sl'-el 
 
 I '16) *a? - 0300 - Phon» 
 
/o. 
 
 DOMINION OF CANADA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 ^EED BHTANCH. 
 
 QEO. H. CLARK, Si:ed Com'niuioner. 
 
 Bunt, or the Stinking Smut 
 
 of Wheat. "^""^^ ^^^'cuLTim. 
 
 (y^T^w^. Canada. 
 
 Part I. — Life History and Methods of Treatment ; 
 Part II. — A Summary of Investigations. 
 
 BY 
 
 J. HORACE FAULL, B.A., Ph.D., 
 Lecturer in Bota.vy, University of Toronto 
 
 Bulletin S. 3. 
 
 C '>/.s jo'f 
 c V I a 
 
 "■ 'led by direction of tlio Hon. SYDNEY \. FISHKK, Minister of Agriculture, 
 <hT\WA, Fkbhi'ahy 12rii, 1907. 
 
^^ff^^^^^^ipi 
 
 
 . ^ -^-. 
 
 X 
 
DOMINION OF CANADA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
 
 SEED BRAN M 
 <JEO. U. CLAKK, Sf( niuionm. 
 
 Bunt, or the Stinking Smut 
 
 of Wheat. 
 
 Part I.— Life History and Methods of Treatment; 
 Part II. — A Summary of Investigations. 
 
 BV 
 
 J. HORACE FAULL, B.A., Ph.D., 
 Lecturer in Botanv, University of Toronto. 
 
 Bulletin S. 3. 
 
 I'ublUhed by direction of the Hoh. SYDNEY A. KISHER, Minister of Agriculture, 
 Ottawa, Fkbrvary 12th, 1907. 
 
Depaktment of Agrk iii.ture, 
 
 Office of Sl^d iJosimissioner. 
 
 Ottawa, Canada, February 12, 1907. 
 
 Honourable Sydney A. Fisher, 
 
 Min\«fpr of Agriculture, 
 Ottawa. 
 
 SiK, — I beg to transmit herewith a treatise on the stinking smut of wheat, 
 prepared by J. Horace Faull, B.A., Ph.D., Lecturer in Botany in the UniverNity 
 of Toronto. Dr. Faull has spent considerable time in the wheat fields of Western 
 Canada and in laboratory work in a special study of the causes of stinking smut 
 in wheat and in methods of controlling and eradicating it. The treatise contains 
 a summary of the results of his investigations. The information contained 
 therein will be of much value to farmers, particularly those located in the wheat 
 belt in western Canada. I r. commend that it be printe<l in bulletin form for 
 <ii8tribu*;ion. 
 
 I have the honour to be, Sir, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 GEO. H. CLARK, 
 
 Sei'd Ciimiuixsioner. 
 
BUNT, OR THE STINKING SMUT 
 OF WHEAT. 
 
 Part I.— Life History and Methods of Treatment 
 
 Bunt, or the atuil ng smut of wheat, is a lowly form of plant Jife that 
 lives as a parasite in the growing wheat. During the summer it consists of 
 branched, jointed threads, not unlike certain moulds, and so fine as not to be 
 seen by the unaided eye. While the wheat is headi ig, these threads grow up 
 into the young grains, usually filling them with a dense mass. Some of the 
 joints of this mass then swell up, blacken, and separate from one another. In 
 fact, they are transformed into the biownisli black powder or spores that fill 
 the smut balls. 
 
 These spores are known to retain life in the granary for at least seven 
 years, and in the soil for two yeai-s. Under favi-rable conditions they are 
 capable of germinating in the soil, q, "^j indepen' ly of the grain, and of 
 producing crops of a second and of even a third typt spores that are equally 
 virulent. 
 
 Each spore 'is Civpable of infecting a seediuit; up to the time that the first 
 leaf show.s itself above the gr i . i The .• .litions most favorable to its 
 growth would appear to be thos' jst favoraole to the growth of the grain. 
 It is asserted, however, that sowing at a uniform depth as shallow as practicable, 
 gives thejwheat the best chance. In fact, the conditions of the seed, the soil, 
 and the climate, and the depth of sowing, which favor the rapid and healthy 
 growth of the young plant from the time of germination until the green leal 
 is well developed, .serve to minimize the dangers of infection. 
 
 The .spores that adhere to the .surface of the wheat at the time it is .sown 
 are the principal source of infection. Fortunately any one of .several methods 
 may be adopted for killing them without killing the seed, and since the disease 
 is so prevalent and so easily transmitted, it would .seem advisable that .some 
 iiii'thod )' treatment should be applied to r i seed every year. 
 
FoniMlin 
 
 Methods of Treatment. 
 
 Use one full ,,ound of formaliu in every forty jrallons of water and proceed 
 as follows : — 
 
 If the seed is from a smutted crop, immerse in tlu' solution, stir thoroughly 
 and skim off the smut balls. Leave the seed in the solution for two hours' 
 before taking it out to dry. Or remove the seed from the solution at the end of 
 fifteen minutes, pile, and cover closely with canvas or sacking to keep in the 
 fumes of the formalin. Le^ve in the pile for two hours and then .spread out to 
 aerate. Sow as soon as possible. 
 
 If the seed is from an unsmutted crop, wet the seed thoroughly with the 
 solution, pile, and cover with canvas or .sacking. Leave the grain in the pile 
 ror two hours, then aerate. 
 
 Formalin is a forty per cent, solution of formaldehyde, and this strength 
 should be guaranteed to the purchaser. 
 
 ('(ypper SvUpkutf (bluestone): 
 
 Dissolve one pound of copper sulphate in twenty gallons of soft water 
 Immerse the grain for about twelve hours, stirring occasionally. Then spread 
 out m a thin layer and dry rapidly. Sow as soon as possible. 
 
 The purest copper sulphate is sold in the form of crystals. These are 
 readily dissolved in a small tjuantity of hot water. 
 
 After removing from the solution, some recommend an immersion of the 
 grain for five minutes in lime water, made by putting one pound of good lime 
 into ten gallons of water. 
 
 PllECAUTlONS. 
 
 1. Take i*rticular care to guard against living spores falling on the seed or 
 coming int*. contact with it after treatment, otherwise all the labour of treat- 
 men' may |.3 in vain. Smut spores are produced at the enormous rate of two 
 to hve millions m every smut ball ; they are extremely light, and are easily 
 ««rrio,l by air currents. If the seed is dried on a floor, the floor must fin-t ll 
 washed with a solution of one pound of copper sulphate to ten gallons of water ; 
 If on a eanvas, the canvas must first be dipped into boiling water. Likewise 
 <hp Uk. sncks into boiling water, an.l dry before filling them with the treate.l 
 
 2. Use vigorous seed. Immature, shrunken seed, or seed enfeeble! by 
 disease or age suffers from treatment, an.l their .seedlings a.-e more susceptible t., 
 infection fmm smut than these from strong .seed. 
 
 • 
 
•i. Reiiiov.. all smut balls from tlie seed. The jspores contained by tlieniare 
 not killed by practicable methods of treatment. 
 
 4. It is necessary to sow a somewhat larger quantity of treated seed per 
 acre than of untreated. Allowance must be made for the swelling of the grain, 
 and for a certain proportion killed by the solution used. 
 
 5. Sow as soon after treatment as is practicable. 
 
 6. Dry rapidly. Plan the time of treatment, so that the drying will begin 
 early m the day. Then spread out the grain on the floor or in the sun''on 
 canvas sheets (sterilized as indicated in precaution 1) in a layer not more than 
 three inches deep, and shovel over frequently. 
 
 In conclusion, there can be no (juestion as to the desirability of maintaining 
 a breeding plot for hand selected .seed' on every farm. Their adoption would 
 result in an increased yield, improved seed, uniform and pure stock, and would 
 go far towards the solution of the smut problem, especially if there were 
 persistence in careful, scientific treatment of the setd before sowing. 
 
 Part 11.— A Summary of Investigations. 
 
 For many years agriculturists have made a practice of treating .see<i wheat 
 for smut, with the result that there has been a diminution of this pest. But it 
 has not been eradicated. Indeed, it has been estimated that for the last few 
 years six per rent, of the croj) of Western Canada that has been officially 
 inspected ha:- been rejected on account of smut, ami this represents a part only 
 of the loss from this cause. 
 
 Through the generosity of the Governors of the University of Toront.. 
 and the western railway companies, I was enabled, in response to a re<|uest 
 to investigate the smut problem, to visit several i>btces in Soutlurn Manitoba, 
 Saskatchewan, and Southern Alberta. 
 
 Materiitl has been very kin.lly supplied to me by Messrs. IJ. I>. Campbell of 
 Winnipeg, Angus McKay of Indian Hea-I, and John A. Mooney of Valley River, 
 Man !<)ba, and from Ontario, thn.ugh the office of the Fiel.l Kxperimentali,st. 
 Mr. U. H. Clark, the Dominion Seed Commissioner, has co-operated at every 
 stage of the investinution, aii<l has very graciously plaeed his seed laboratory at 
 my dispo.sal, and his pra-tical knowledg.. .,f agriculture and the conditions in 
 Western (Canada. 
 
 Two species ol stinking smut (Tilhtia fo,-fen.s. (B vV C), Trel., an.l TiUetl,i 
 trittei (Bjerk) Wint), attack the wheat, l)oth spring and fall, throughout Canada. 
 T tritici (Hjerk) Wint. is muel. more prevalent than has b... ,. heretofore 
 supposed, in some p aoes distinctly lueilominating. 
 
In attempting to germinate their aporei , several kinds of nutrient media 
 were tried. None gave better results than a sterilized decoction of virgin 
 praine soil, maintained at a temperature of about 60 ° Fahrenheit, and this 
 medium was used throughout. 
 
 The problem in hand haT been attacked from several standpoints, an outline ^ 
 of which, with some results, is as follows :— ^1 
 
 I. 
 
 To Determine the Efficiency of Vabious Solution.s in Kilmno 
 Spores in Unbroken Smut Balls. 
 
 Upwards of one hundred tests were made with solutionis of copper sulphate 
 varying m strength from one pound in one gallon of water to one pound in 
 twenty-five gallons, and for periods varying from one minute to twenty-four 
 hours ; and seventy-five tests with formalin for periods varying from one hour 
 to four hours. In every case the smut balls were immersed in the solutions 
 
 The following is an extract from the record of data obtained. 
 
 Strengtli of Solution. 
 
 I 
 
 Copper Snlpliule : 
 
 I II'. — I pil.. 
 1 ll).-2jKal. 
 I lb.— 6 ital. . 
 1 lb.— lOiatnl. 
 1 lb.-;.'Owil. 
 
 I II).— 6() Kill. 
 I U).— «()gil 
 1 II),— 40 (ml. 
 
 I.,»'nKtli of Treatment. 
 
 '■iO iiiinutex. 
 I hour. 
 1 hour. 
 I hour 
 12 hourc. 
 
 ii\ hourx. 
 31 houm. 
 -J liourK. 
 
 Per cent, of Smut Balls 
 
 containinfl> living nporee 
 
 after treatment. 
 
 tH) 
 
 80 
 100 
 
 100 
 100 
 33 
 
 111 all „t the toniwiliii and a few of the copper sulphate tests, the spores 
 were taken fmii. directly under the covering of the smut ball, proving that the 
 smut ball IS very impervious to penetration by a liqui^i. 
 
 Fi-om the t<m.jroin« table it will be seen that the vitality of all the spores 
 c-ont«ine.l in smut lali. cannot be destroyed by practicable methods of treat- 
 ment. Sm.e smut balls tl.nt are left in the need wheat are apt to become 
 l)roken when pnxHuxti through the Hee.ler. reeontaniiiiHtinK treated seed it is 
 therelore always advisable to get rid of them before sowing. This may ho done 
 bv nnineis.ng the see.l in barrels or tanks, made fur the i.uipose. to such a depth 
 that all the .smut balls may bo floated, skimmed off, and destroyed. 
 
II. To Detekmine the EmcEvcy of Various Solutions in Killing tbe 
 
 SPORES that AdHERB TO THE SURFACE OF SoUND GRAINS. 
 
 ^ZfT. f TT'"^ r'" "'"*" respectively treated with the following 
 I stlDhr J. In n "r""" "' ^"^^^^°' P^""^" «f ""« =-One pound of coppef 
 
 ' o Stottfilr r"/"'r P"""'^^'"^"*^ gallons; one pounTof 
 tormalin to forty gallons of water, and one pound to fifty gallons 
 
 and pi:s rgi-rr "'^^^'' ^°' ■^^^-^'^"^^ ^^- ™*^« ^-" ^•'" «-<- 
 
 .nn» ^"TT ^•^™ '^^'f °f the grains treated with the copper sulphate solutions 
 
 repect.vely. and in one case for one hour, but none for longer periods a"dwk^ 
 ^e^fonnahn solutions for one and five minutes respectively, and none for fo^^er 
 
 tormahn for less than one hour may therefore be reasonably questioned 
 „..n/i p**'" *=7°«*^««°- »n extruct from the report of the Dominion Experi- 
 Zt fn-T ^ ''"" " ''P'''*"^ P^^"°^"'- Mr- ^"g«« McKay-" TheTerd 
 .^?caL tha^ r T;^^™^'^ '»«-««t«'» -'th smut, and the res.dt of the t^t 
 mdicates that to be entirely effectual the solution of formalin should be applied 
 to the seed for at least one hour." There were no smutted heads in the crLp 
 
 fuJJ!'^ T'*" ''^ "Poriments with Doncaster Priee Oats carried on by Mr R 
 Robertson. Nappan. (1899 ReportsUre strikingly significant in comparison with 
 I-^JT *r 8'^7|°''*'»f ;»"»» spores recorded in this bulletin. Mr. Robertson 
 treated with a solution of formalin, one pound to 35.V gallons of water 
 
 Tim 
 
 Hoaked I Imiir 
 Hoaked 15 iiiiniitfH 
 SoakH 5 iiiiniil<>)<.. 
 
 Sprinkled 
 
 I'nlrcated 
 
 (iniKl lleHcU. 
 
 Smutted Heads 
 
 :.'KI4 
 
 ;».i-.4 
 
 .Viine. 
 
 as. 
 
 MO 
 348 
 AM 
 
 Ue ..nous d.fh..„l,y ....cuntenMl in tn-ating s | g,,ti„ for a .short perimi 
 
 01 tune, for cxa.npl,., by the use of smut .u.chines, by the sprinkling p.. J.s or 
 «ven by .hppmg for a .short time, is in bringing the solution into c.. ntact with 
 every snuit spore. The groove on the face of the grain is often deep or narrow 
 and son,e imes there nre cracks in the seed coat. Air bubbles are almost crrn 
 to torm at first over these gr.,ves and cracks with the re.sult that n.«, w sm t 
 .pores are not wotted by the solution and henee .oe nndostr.,yed if tlu^reU 
 
 I 
 
10 
 
 ment is t .o rapul. In this investijration comparatively large quantities of seed 
 were used in order more accurately to duplicate the methods of treatment used 
 in general practice. The results of the work throughout make clear that a 
 solution consisting of 1 lb. of formalin to 40 gallons, or 1 lb. of copper sulphate 
 to ^0 gallons of soft water is sufficiently strong to kill any smut spore that 
 IS wetted by It. A stronger solution could not be more effective in killing smut 
 spores and IS especially undesirable because it does increased and unnecessary 
 injury to the seed wheat by killing from ten to fifty per cent, of it and greatly 
 weakening the rest of the seed. 8 " J' 
 
 in. To Determine thk Ekfect ..k Tkkatment ..n thk Vitality of the Seed. 
 
 Two sets of experiments were made, one with western grown No I 
 Northern, purchased from the Brown Milling Co.. of Toronto, and said to be of 
 this years crop, and the second with wheat contributed by Mr. J. A. Mooney of 
 Valley R.ver. Manitoba, from his seed plot, likewise from the harvest of 1906. 
 
 More than three hundred separate tests were made with the first set. and 
 more than one hundred with the second. The germination tests were conducted 
 oy a bwiss seed sijecialist. and in standard seed germinators. 
 
 are w?.fJ°"r!"! ^'''T^^'' "*" ^'^^^'^ Stains that germinated after treatment 
 Hie worthy ot study and comparison. 
 
 Kf)KMAM.\. 
 ffo. I Northrnt purchann/ iv Toronto: 
 
 1 Ib.-WgMl. 
 1 II).— 40 kbI. 
 I lb. -50 gal. 
 
 I lit 
 
 S«", 
 
 1)1 ■, 
 
 hni. 
 
 .1 hr»i. 
 
 m 
 
 28'; 
 
 m% 
 
 78', 
 
 m^ 
 
 H.S", 
 
 tl hrn. 
 
 18% 
 48% 
 79% 
 
 iHooiifii^ It'liiiii 
 
 I ii>. m Kill 
 
 I lb. 4Ugal 
 I lb. -ftOKHl 
 
 I li 
 
 KNI' 
 1110', 
 100' 
 
 ;< hr- 
 
 N" U'ClH lllllll*' 
 
 KHt', 
 
 100'? 
 
 IIM)'f 
 
 UK) , 
 
 4 lll'K 
 
 l(H);» 
 I00« 
 
 a lira. 
 
 100% 
 100% 
 
n 
 
 Copper Sulphate. 
 No. I If.rthern.-n.t}.er more «eve.. than with formalin. 
 Mooney's Wheat: 
 
 1 hr. 
 
 S hrs. 
 
 
 « hrs. 
 
 100'* 
 
 lOon 
 
 12Lr8. 
 
 «8% 
 »9% 
 
 18 hrs. 
 
 100% 
 100% 
 
 ■•intj.|h«tjl,a„,efr„„th,,9„e%mp J^'"'" " °° '"""'"'• »■•• 
 
 th«vMty„f,h,.«Ki,l, ^'"'''""'"""elw"' '«'■» in ite bearing on 
 
 killed b, .«,„, J t"!:' *:;■'» •"^^"f "■■».■ «".in. th.t ,Jn„. 
 
 tK. greater i, .he «.y i„ .heg^XL J T r' Bu't'l""*'? ""'■'"■ 
 Striking with the opner sulnhnt.. »i.„ -.u x\ ,. "* *"'^ '" f'^f mor,- 
 
 li™t,,,»,.l, eo„el,,.iv.ly n„„d 1 ™ T "^f ' ;' r'' "'■'' '"'>'™ '""Ml" «fte.- 
 
 i. - ..f «,. »„„«„„, ,. i„ u,„e »..':« x;:';:;;:„rb: ,:r *' -^'-^ 
 
 . m.,ke,l ,«»„.„„.. N„„eCTmv„ri 7 "" *""" "»' ""■"' " 
 
12 
 
 In conclusion, fresh, vigorous seed, I'xjm healthy plants harvested at full 
 maturity, dried quicklj after treatment, and sown at once, will sustain little 
 injury from the methods of treatment advised in this bulletin. 
 
 IV. To DiCTEKMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF INFECTION FROM SPORES CAuHIED IN 
 
 THE Soil. Jjih 
 
 Mr. G. H. Clark tt)ok the pains to make somewhat eitensive observations 
 on this matter during the last summer. The parts of the fields over which 
 clouds of the spores were carried during the previous year's threshing operations 
 were carefully compared with the surrounding parts. I can corroborate his 
 conclusion, which is in harmony with that of tht veteran botanist Brefeld, that 
 soil infection does play a part, but I am n(>t in a position to state how significant 
 a part this may be. 
 
 The spores blown from tlie threshing-maehiue are .sometimes carried for 
 miles. Many of them fall to the ground, and may spread the infection; others 
 fall on unthreshed grain— these are the ones that are certain o give trouble. 
 
 V. To Determine if Apparently Sound Grains may; be Dlseahed witj. 
 
 Smut. 
 
 It is commouly asserted that tlie "whole^head if smutted,' contains no 
 sound grain, only smutted kernels.' Failing to find any statistics on this point, 
 I have given the matter some attention and have arrived, a difierent 
 conclusion. 
 
 Smutted heads were gathered in the neighbourhood of Indian Head and 
 carefully threshed by hand. Out of a yield of 1,638 grJns, there were 1,444 
 smut balls or 88.12 per cent., and 194 "sound" grains (viable) or 11.84 per cent, of 
 the whole. 
 
 Near Pincher Creek, in Southern Alberta. '11,007 grains wer,- narvested 
 from a collection of di.seased plants of which 2,191 or 18.88 per cent, were 
 apparently sound. 
 
 ^^ At Creelman, Saskatchewan, 54 diseased plants bore 146 heads. Of these 
 heads, 88 or 60.27 per cent, bore nothing but smut balls : 10 oj- 10.52 per 
 cent nothing bu' sound grains, and 42 or 28.77 per cent, both smut balls and 
 
 "sound" grains. That is, „f the .smutted heads, nearly one-third contained 
 " sound ' grains. 
 
 It is known that every stalk of a diseased plant is aHected. Commonly, a.s 
 in the Ocelnian plants, most uf the heads cairy smut Imlls, but freiiuently there 
 are some that do not, and oceasioiutlly the entire plant, though diseased, may be 
 
 free from them. One might very reasonably suspect, then foii', that 
 
 tht 
 
 apparent- 
 

 
 • 18 
 
 ~u.. .h, choice „t j^u.rj.'z „t L:™:r °'"°°" "™'""°°' '"- 
 ™..h^. or .„...e„e e.:j'i^cLtp,^trctr:p:.tt°.et ;r 
 
 been taken from a smutten crop. ' espw.ally ,f the seed has