Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1903-04-03
TREATMENT OF SEED GRAIN,
How to Insure as Far as Possible the Best
Grain Crops,

Grain Crops.
Professor Bolley, of the state agri
cultural college writes: just now
every one seems much interested in
the question whether there is to be a
Wisconsin inspection for North Da-
kota wheat OF not. One thing is plain
even with all our ca~relessness in farm
ing the quality of the North Dakota
wheat is recognized as superior to
that of all otner spring wheat coun-
ries. and it is evident that the thing
for North Dakotans to do is to keep
this high standard of excellence unsul-
lied. This product owes its fine mil
ling qualities to the characteristics os
our soil and climate. AS long as the
soil is new and fertile almost any
careless process Of farm work will pro.
duce good wheat, provided it is rea-
sonably we'll cured at harvest time
This favorable state of the soil may,
however, not be expected to last ex-
cept under intelligent methods of crop
rotation and culture
Even, at present, few farmers raise
as fine crops as is possible, either in
quantity or in quality. In most cases
the reason is to be found in the fact
that a poor uneven quality of seed is
placed in the ground. Many farmers
seem to believe that which cannot be
placed on the market because Of it's
inferior grade may yet be used for
seed with safety. They pay dearly
for this notion, losing both in quality
and IN quantity. Proof of this has
been too often made at this station to
need further r%eiteration.
To make a success of wheat culture
enc must, year by year, stanchly per-
sist in the use Of the best possible
seed. If one deviates from the rule,
loss is sure to follow. In a number of
different years, ou1 experiments show
that any variation in the seed from a
number / hard quality will surely
show up in the yield at harvest. If
the quality of seed is Of mixed type or
uneven in quality, as to maturity, in
jury, etc. the quality at harvest is
sure to be of uneven grade. Farmers
should avoid using any Of the follow
ing types of grain for seed purposes:
Immature wheats, no matter what
the cause, are weakened in seed value
because of the lack of a full food sup
ply in the grain for the young plants,
and perhaps because Of im%maturity of
the embryo itself.
Mixed varieties of seed should not
be sown because the crop is sure to
ripen unevenly.
The best grades of frosted seeds
less strength in their first
growth from the grain than normal
seed grain.
Wheat that has been wet and sub
ject to freezing. and thawing during
the winter ought not to be used as
seed, at least, without being tested.
Wheat which was threshed damp
and became hot enough in the bin to
be noticed when the hand was thrust
into it has been considerably injured
for seed purposes.
If, after being threshed and stored !
wet, it has become mouldy or musty,
caked together, it will be very much
the safest thing to get a better type
q grain for seed purposes.
Wheat which has been really shot"
in the bin may be wholly dead. It
is not safe to use it at all, unless a
good termination test is made.
Grain which has been stored in the
bin so that it has been subject t.
moisture and freezing and thawing
will be sure to have a large percentage
of the grains entirely dead and many
others so weak that it will be impos-
sible for them to send plants sufficient
ly strong to be of much crop value.
Summary: Procure the plumpest,
best colored grain you can get for
seed. Use no other, if it can be avoid
ed. It is a much more certain way of
rich to feed inferior grain to
stock than to use it for seed.
If in doubt whether grain will
or not, it is easy to make a,
test of it in a small box of moist sand
or dirt. However, it is hardly a wise
procedure to use any grain for seed
purposes which looks so poor as to
cause one to doubt whether it Will
grow.
Grade out all small or shriveleG
This will also remove the
weed seeds.