Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1899-04-07
SMUTTY WHEAT.

SMUTTY WHEAT.
Prot. Hays Tells How to Get it Clean
for Seed.
In answer to many inquiries con-
cerning the best method Of treatment
for smutted wheat the Pioneer Press
recently published the following re.
views Of Prof. Hayes on this important
question, which will repay careful
perusal:
There is no doubt" said Prof. Hays
yesterday, "but that there is q great
deal Of smutted wheat in the North
west. The amount OF smut has rapidly
increased during the last several years
in spite OF the fact that better RENE.
dies are now available than formerly.
No doubt the main reason Is that the
smut had no considSnabla toothold
until recent years. Once each neigh
borhood became infected it was only
q matter Of Q short time when the
threshing machine would carry the
spores from farm to farm. A few
affected heads of wheat are not noticed.
But after they have had year or two
In which to multiply and spread to the
entire crop the farmer is suddenly con.
fronted with lower grades or his wheat
classes only as rejected in the market.
1.-THE weather cannot be made to
carry the principal blame. nor Ia the
variety Of wheat principally at fault.
True some seasons are favorable to
the more rapid development Of wheat
smut, and some varieties % wheat are
slightly more susceptible to this mar.
asitic disease than Others. Doubtless
the red fife and blue stem yarieties.
almost universally grown in the North.
west, are nearly equally susceptibleto
this parasitic disease.
",The breed Of the wheat, in other
words, may be very good and vet the
sample I've smutted; Just as the best
shorthorn calf might become infeoted
with lice. We would use remedies In
case OF the calf and we must do the
same with our good wheat.
Ho1n rAsr ro THAT wu1ou ,e avon
~ - ''
lc 10 not usually wise to discard q
variety OF ate, or blue stem wheat that
70 doing we'll In q county, neighbor.
hood or on certain farm, and, ct q
considerable expense, get seed of un-
known pedigree from some remote
state or territory: We have all the
good varieties on this side OF the line
tnst tney nave IN the Canadian North
west, and we have no more reason for
throwing away varieties that have
proved good than Henry +. Brown
WOULD nave Tor dtscarding his herd Of
nne 5n0rth0rnS because they might
become lousy.
FARMERS should, as rule, SOW wheat
from tneir own farms-that which was
raleed on their best and cleanest Zelda.
Il they do not have hte or blue stem
on tneir own farms, they should seek
from neighbors, or ct farthest. from
farmers within hauling distance In an
adlo!nlng county. The Minnesota
and North Dakota sxpsrimentltattons
nave sought the world over, and, after
testlng more than hve hundred varie-
Ties OF wheat, have found no other
spring wheat 90 we'll adapted to the
Northwest as the hard red fife and
blue stem whests grown In every
county ~ this portion OF the country.
Ihey md some samples better than
otners, out the evidence now In leads
70 tne oelief that farmers should plant
tne oest seed o6tatnab!e on their own
farms or IN their own locality. 1t new
SEED must 90 secured let 1t be from
TING unnenailv Good viaids for a MN