Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-08-06

housing involves depreciation in value,
and that it might be the cause of the
loss of his crop
The solubility of faxseed in water is
such that its exposure to rain, however
slight, causes decreased weight and
lessened value, while heavy and con-
tinued rains have frequently destroyed
all that was left unprotected.
FlaXseed that has been exposed in
the field to the suns rays until it is dry
to brittleness still holds a latent moist
ure, which will develop when the seed
is confined in mass and result la neat
and decomposition.
The above will explain to the country
shipper why so much of his new seed
grades "rejected'' and "no grade" A
wagon load of uncured seed-although
dry to the touch-will, when placed in
car or warehouse bin in warm wealth
er, become damp and warm.
Flaxseed threshed when in the dry
condition described above is liable to be
much broken and pulverized; the stalk
will also break and be intermixed with
the seed, thereby increasing the impu-
rity.
In the inspection analysis of such
! broken and pulverized seed much must
| be classed as impurity to the deriment
! of the shipper. The above being true,
the waste at the threshing floor must be
very large.
Look on the reverse side. Should rain
fall on the flax exposed on the field
while waiting for the machine, or for
| other reasons, the straw becomes rot
ten, and great difficulty is encountered
| in threshing, and the seed is unfit for
storage and will not grade number one
The reason why the Western cultiva-
tor of flax annually breaks down the
| flax seed seed market by throwing
thereon in sixty days one half of the
crop. and that largely unfit for storage,
has been an unsolved problem, but the
reason is found in that general but ruin
GUS habit of threshing from the field
for to thresh is to sell.
Having described some of the attend
ant dangers of the matured fax crop,
will suggest how these dangers may be
easily avoided.
Well dried flax when stacked is rea-
sonably secure, and is in position to
yield a good return for labor. The
sweat incidental to stacking passes the
seed to that indispensable condition
necessary to storage. 1t also imparts a
toughness to the seed covering and
straw, which protects the former from
breakage by the machine, and gives the
latter desirable plant tenacity.
With the million acres of flax grown
in the West held well in hand, by rea-
son of being gathered in barns and
stacks, the owners, in place of breaking
down the market, might control it. or,
at least, they would be in position to
take advantage of any advance.
The flax having been properly stacked
it becomes by easy transition, when
threshing day comes, hax-straw stacks,
retaining at least one-half the value it
had before being deprived of the seed
by threshing.
The coarse, uninviting hax-straw is a
true forage, as it is eaten with avidity,
and relished by all kinds of stock, Civ
ing vigorous growth to the young, a
healthy, thriving condition to the full
grown, and shining coat to all, which
is admirable proof that its constituents
are in harmony with their organism.
| But the above is the least of it's value.
It has impoverished the farmers acres,
but is prepared to pay with interest. II
is estimated that each acre of flax grown
takes from the soil fifty pounds of al
kalies and twenty pounds of phosphOriC
acid, which shows that it is a most eX-
haustive plant. The seed, which is the
only part removed from the farm, con-
talns but small portion of the mineral
nanures taken from the soil, therefore
! the f1aX-straw retains nearly all the in
gradients withdrawn. 1t is natural
sequence that when the straw is fed to
stock and returned to the land in the
| form Of farm yard manure, the equili-
brium Of it's fertility is maintained-,S.
IT. Stevens, an Prairie Farmer.