New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-10-15
FLAX DISEASE
II Il Thoroughly Diagnosed. bat III
Remedy Is Prevented

u r Thoroughly Diagnosed, bat He
Remedy Is Presented.
Early in May Of the present year large
number ofthe citizens of the southw estern
part of Minnesota especially OF Jackson and
Cottonwood counties presented petition
to Gov. Merriam, asking for his assistance
n discovering some cure or prevention for
The disease which has affected SO disas-
t-ously the fax crop in that quarter. Gov.
.ierriam's interest in these matters, and the
service done by him to the farmers of the
Northwest last year in the investigation
through the professors of the experiment
station of the grades of wheat most desira-
bic for use in the Red river valley, made his
assistance in the matter Of the FAX disease
seem probable means of relief.
The governor referred the petition to the
board ofregents of the state university, and
the matter was placed in the hands Of Mr.
Otto Lugger, of the experiment station, who
Yesterday submitted his report. No cure
has as yet been found, but the possibility OF
prevention is made to seem feasible, and
further experiments are to be made in the
next three months. Mr.. Lugger's report,
which is addressed to the governor, opens
as follows:
One OF the most important branches OF farm.
ing in the State Of Minnesota at least in ito
tnO4S oouCuGrl pOEClOuS, Ii GQ0 COlClVaC1Ou OF
fax, not for it's fiber, but chiefly for its seed,
the raw material for linseed oil. Minnesota
produces at present more fax seed than any
other state IN the Union. and this Industry is
steadily increasing Many reasons could bs
given for this increase but the leading one is the
general failure OF the wheat crop, due largely ia
the ravages of chnch bugs
During the last five years the fax industry has
suffered greatly In many regions from q mys.
FERROUS disease of the plants, and grave fears are
entertained for the future success Of fax culture.
no ffn rnOf IT1far
ia re IN their welfare, applied to you for assist
ance. or rather asked you to have the matter
investigated with the view of perhaps discover.
ing some method to overcome or lessen this
threatening evil AS had some experience with
this disease in 1889, you obtained the CO.
operation OF the regents OF the university. and
the infested region. immediately proceeded to
the region about Window, where some land
badly infested could DO rented and where l OBJ
tanned the intelligent assistance Of q resident
farmer, MI. E. j. Meilicke.
Several practical methods to investigate this
trouble presented themselves. One, based on
the assumption that exhaustion OF the soil by
previous crops Of fax was the cause Of failure,
led to the first series Of experiments; another
that specific disease caused the death of the
plants. led to second series. The results Of
tn series Of experiments proved beyond doubt
All nothing very practical can at present be
advised to prevent losses. But during these two
series OF experiments many facts were observed,
which. toaether with other observations made
Lac. year, indicated the real cause of the fax
trouble and necessitated third series of expert
ments, which is now partly finished. STILL it
will be necessary to continue these experiments.
not i'll the field but in the laboratory, where all
the surrounding conditions can be observed OF
kept under control. This will take some time,
however, as the conclusion OF each experiment.
requires about three months
The following report is, therefore, only pre-
hminary one, and only the leading facts an
learned by field experiments, will be given TO
carry out the first two series of experiments it
was necessary to commence as early as possible,
The land selected was admirably adapted for
the purpose the soil was Of q good, average
quality, and had been twice seeded to fax In
1889 every plant OF fax had been killed.
Mr.. Lugger then gives full description
of the first series of experiments. which
consisted Of treating the land with tertiIiz-
ers and using seed grown upon the farm, or
suspicious seed, and in a separate plot seed
from distance, presumed to be free from
disease. The following fertilizers were used:
Ten lbs. lime, 20 lbs. lime; 20 lbs. acid phos-
pilates, 10 lbs. acid phosphates; 10 lbs mu-
rate phosphates, 90 lbs muriate phosphates:
10 lbs. salt, 90 lbs. salt; 10 lbs. nitrate OF
soda, 20 lbs. nitrate of soda; 10 lbs. super
phosphate, 20 lbs. superphosphate; 10 lbs.
land plaster, 20 lbs. land plaster; 10lbs.
ground oil cake, 20 lbs. ground oil cake.
Both the native and foreign seed was treat
ed with each kind of fertilizer, and in other
plots the seed was soWn before fertilizing,
and the soil treated after the young plants
had appeared. In all the plots the seed
terminated, and before the plants had
grown to three inches they began to shrivel.
died first. These experiments, being ex-
ceedingly thorough, were taken as conclu-
siye proof that exhaustion OF the soil had
nothing to do with the disease.
The second series of experim ents con-
sisted OF the use of fungicides upon plants
I
are generally applied in liquid form, but
tax seed cannot be wet without sticking to-
yether, and the soil had to be taken up
mixed with fungicide and applied as top
dressing. Eight different kinds of fungi.
cides were used. Out of sixteen seeded
plots all but four produced the plants in
proiusion. with the same result as in the
first experiment. This result is taken to in
dictate that the disease is not specific veg
etable disease. One thing seems to be
proven, that the disease, or whatever tmay
be, can be carried by water or by the straw
of old fax to soil not yet invaded.
The third series of experiments Is fin
ished, SO far as it can be conducted in the
field. If the disease can be produced, in
soil of healthy nature, and with straw of
healthy fax, it will go far to show that it 10
not disease caused by parasitic organisms,
but by something entirely different The
experiments tried in the third case were
with soil unlniected and healthy seed,
treated with solutions OF old fax straw and
with the dry straw. In the plots thus
treated the disease appeared with fatal eff
iects. In the plots kept free, as far as pos
sible, from the contact with the old straw,
they grew to their full size. It appears
then that there is no cure. but only proven
tion, and that a rotation of crops, which
shall Tree the ground from the traces of one
crop of fax before another is attempted, is
the most rational plan. The experiments
will be continued in the green house of the
experimental farm until thorough study
Of the subject is made.
Carl Finds His Brother.
Cleveland Herald Among the inrn1-
grants who arrived here last week on the
Augusta Victoria from Hamburg was
twelye-y ear-old boy who gave the name OF
Carl HELLER. He said he came here in
search of an elder brother, who left home
III KnoWno, Russia, four years ago. The
Il