Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1883-03-01
FLAxsEED

FLAXSEED
Production in the Western and North.
western States.
The report lately issued of the Flax
seed Inspector to the Chicago Board
Of Trade for the year 1882, has
brought out the astonishing fact ''that
the total inspected receipts of fiaxseed
at Chicago during the year 1882
amounting to 10,243 carloads, equal
to 5,040, 1928 bushels contained i'm
purities to the extent of $50, ,545
bushels, and that the total inspected
shipment during the same period
amounted to 4,203, 545 bushels, and
contained 237 1857 bushels of impu-
rites.
The Inspector adds to this state
ment the following remarks, which
deserve to receive the widest possible
publicity, as they may lead the intel
ligeEt and progressive farmer to be-
stow on his flax crop a more careful
and rational treatment than he has
hitherto been wont to. and thus to
make it considerably more remuner-
ative.
81 would call your attention to the
great waste caused by the neglect of
the producers to SOW pure seed and
properly prepare their crops for mar
ket. There has been received during
the year at this point, intermixed with
fiaxseed, an impurity approximating
GAS carloads, for which at least $780,
600 freight has been paid. Add to
this storage, commissions and other
expenses, and the amount becomes
worthy of consideration. Perhaps
the bare publicity of the facts evolved
by our system of inspection, will
cause the farmer to see his true inter-
east in the matter and cause him to
procure clean seed for sowing, and if
that Is not possible, to retain the i'm
purity on the farm where it is not
without value.
The total flaxseed crop of 1882, of
the Western and Northwestern States,
has been estimated by Messrs. R. S.
Wallace & Co., flaxseed merchants OF
Chicago, at about $500, 900 bushels,
500, 900 bushels of which are still ex-
ipected to arrive, while about 2,000,-
900 bushels have found their way to
the st. Louis oil mills and other points,
1t is, therefore, safe to assume that
at least 1000 carloads of impurities
intermixed with flaxseed has beer
sent to the different markets, or
which freight, storage, commission
and other expenses to the amount o.
at least $125 900 has been paid which
might and ought to have been saved
With regard to the suggestion O.
the Flsxseed Inspector "that the far
mer should procure pure for seed sow
ing," it is to be feared that this will
not be possible, because all the hom
grown fiaxseed, without exception
has been rendered so impure by man,
years of careless management and tn
sowing of impure seed, that seed de
serving the name ''pure'' does not a
all exist in the Western States. An
other reason is that all Wester
grown seed, in order to save ey
penses and turn it without loss G
time into cash, IS taken from the fiel
where it is taken off by the steal
threshing machine, direct to the mex
elevator or shipped to the marke1
without any cleaning of it being net
essary.
The same impure seed, mixed wit
every sort of noxious weed seed:
which the farmer has delivered j
; Autumn to the seed dealers or o
, crushers, is returned to him in sprin
when sowing time comes around, an
again committed to the ground witt
out even the least thought beir
given, on the part of the farmer,
;, the cleaning of it-he IS too busy f
that and in too great hurry to ha'
. the sowing Overland thus it goes {
- year after year.
Apart from its extreme lmpurity:
=" evidenced by the above stated fact
, it must be remarked that Americ;
= grown Aaxseed, having never be-
renewed to any large extent since
first intoductIon, over a hundr'
:, years ago, is thoroughly degenerate
;. and only capable of producing
= :, dwarfsh, sickly plant and a sm
. quantity of seed Of inferior qualit
q Long experience in the fax produ
~ ing countries of Europe has demo
a. strated that only by means of the il
> portation of new seed of the bs
,, quality can abundant crops both
N seed and fiber be produced. Irelan
70 Belgium, France and Germany, thel
o. fore, annually import the seed nect
n sary for their sowing from Holla
h. and Russia. Holland, although b.
self producing seed highly esteem
for its purity and the excellent Gro
~ its producers, imports every year
n quantity Of Russian seed, chan
n Of seed being considered very ber
Of fetal.
Tn nrIor xhorafn~o 70 ro.en a