Further Studies with Wheat and Pullet Disease

Abstract

Attention has been called to the close association of so-called pullet disease with the feeding of certain samples of wheat. The author reported field observations for the years 1940 to 1943, and experimental work performed in 1943, showing this close association. The wheats regarded as “positive” were found to have a significantly lower germination than negative wheats, but it was subsequently shown by artificial lowering of germination that germination alone was not an accurate criterion of the ability of a sample to induce pullet disease. Petty and Quigley, 1947, reported a preponderance of bacteria found in plate cultures of “positive” wheats, whereas the samples found to be negative revealed flora predominant in fungi.In the experimental work herein reported a duplication of the results secured in 1943 was obtained. Three lots of local wheat of known history were fed ad libitum to pens of 50 New Hampshire pullets which had .