Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-04-13
FARMERS BEWARE.
Warnings Against Feed Oats
For Sowing.
Maine Raised Oats Are To Be Pre-
ferred 10 Others.
Pernicious Weeds Found Among Feed Oats
New Corporations at Capitol.

E. w. Mckeen, secretary of the State
Board of Agriculture. wishes to call
the attention Of farmers, especially, at
this time. before the sowing has COM
menced, that great care must be taken
in sowing Western oats. brought in by
carloads from the West. for feed
He says that careful examination of
this seed should be made to see that it
does not contain seeds of pernicious
weeds. This warning is based upon a
careful examination of oats which was
made on lot, taken from the store Of
a dealer.
In two bushels of this seed. the fol-
lowing weed seeds were found. some of
them being of very bad reputation
Jointed Charlock. Black Mustard.
Shepherds Purse, Pigweed. Black
Windweed. Smartweed. Small Bugioss
Wild Morning Glory. Flaxseed, Yellow
Daisy, and varieties of grass seed.
The report of F. l.. Harvey, botanist
FOR the Maine experiment station at
Orono, says. regarding the subject:
The presence of Charlock and Mustard
IN such abundance as has been found, is
enough to condemn his seed for sowing.
Exclusive of crnciferous seeds il would
he fairly clean, as none of the others are
very bad weeds. The fiaXseed and grass
seeds would not be especially objectiona-
bic.
There is considerable danger of intro
ducing mustard plants on the farm by
using such oats for feed. 1t is almost
impossible to prevent some of these seeds
getting into the manure and into the
fields. 1t would be better. if possible to
feed oats ground before they are brought
onto the farm. The grinding would de-
stroy all the weed seeds, but would of
course add to the cost without giving
additional food value. Probably an ounce
of mustard seed to the bushel would not
stimulate the stomachs of animals
enough to prove harmful.
For seed we would advise Maine grown
oats if they can be procured. Should it
be impossible to procure homegrown
seed. then select the cleanest Western
seed possible and examine it carefully for
small round or brownish seeds about
one-siXteenth of an inch in diameter. If
these are found they are = )bably some
form of mustard seed ana may be re-
moved by shaking the oats in a sieve
space. This would remove all of the
seeds mentioned above. none of which
exceed one-twelfth of an inch in diam
eter. and would not allow any but the
smaller oats to pass through.
We found one seed that seemed to he
the Russian thistle. but searched in vain
for a second one. This bad weed has
reached the seaboard in New Jersey,
where it was found growing abundantly
between tracks in a freight yard. where
Eastern grain had been unloaded. 1t
would be well to keep Il lookout for bad
weeds at the points in Maine where
grain. hay or other Western through
products are unlOaded.
The following new corporations were
filed at the secretary of States office
at the Capitol. Saturday:
The Sullivan Granite Co., organized
at Rockland, for the purpose of doing
granite quarrying business, and selling
granite of all kinds, with $4,000 CAPT
tai stock, of which nothing is paid in.
The officers are: President and treas
urer, w. W. Case of Rockland, Me
The Self Contained Equipment Co.
organized at Portland, for the purpose
of owning, leasing, etc. patents relat-
ing to electric railway equipments, and
and selling the same,
with $500, 900 capital stock, of which
$500 900 is paid in. The officers are:
President. Arthur c. Libby of Port
land: treasurer, George II. Drew of
Boston, Mass.