The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-26
FLAX Sick" Soil.

FLAX Sick" Soil.
"A remarkable work has been done by
Professor H. L. Bolley, Of the North Da-
kota government agricultural. experiment
station, in his Investigation of the causes
of "fax sick" soil and the methods OF
treating and preventing such condition.
To Professor Bolley belongs the honor Of
having determined the cause of a condi-
tion that has always been attendant upon
flax raising.
The late DR.. Otto Lugger of the Min
nesota experiment station wrote: 1T is
well known in Europe that flax is a plant
unlkind to it's own offspring; flax does
not succeed flax upon the same soil and
remain strong. In Ireland the idea pre-
walls among many that the land is "faxed
OUT In America, in each new locality
in which flax has been introduced says
Professor Bolley, it has been a short-lived
crop. Iowa was once the banner fax
state, then Minnesota, and now North
Dakota. Wherever flax has long been
raised, it has generally been abandoned
as an improbable crop, the farmers ex-
planning that the soil is FLAX sick" Many
farmers think that flax exhausts the soil,
but North Dakota farmers are finding
out that after rotation of crops flax may
again be proftably raised on flax sick''
soil.
LAS there are thousands of acres of new
soil in the northwest which are free from
this soil disease writes Professor Bolley
in recent bulletin, lone may readily
understand the Importance of ascertain
ing the exact or first cause, that we may
learn it's habits and some method of pre-
venting it's spread and ravages." Flax
has proved to be a very profitable crop
to Minnesota and Dakota farmers and as
the number Of crops that can be success
fully grown in the north is limited, it
would be a serious matter if flax had to
be stricken from the -list,s as it, already
has been for thousands Of acres How
rapidly flax deteriorates on the same land
is shown by the fact that six years of
continuous flax cropping of piece Of rich
Red river valley land reduced it to such
a diseased condition that mot plant
of flax can exist upon it longer than three
weeks from the time Of sowing.'
Professor Bolley's experiments and re-
searches prove that:
Flax is not an exhausting crop. An av-
erage yield of flax will not remove from,
the soil as much fertility as a thirty
bushel crop of wheat, or $50 bushels of DO
tatoes.
There is no chemical change wrought in
the soil by the flax that units it for sue
ceedlng crops of fax.
Flax wilt and fax-sick soil are caused
by fungus, Fusarium lini
This fungus is generally introduced with
the seed. and once in a field maintains it.
self in the soil, growing more numerous
and harmful with each succeeding crop OF
flax. on which plant it feeds.
There is no known way to get the fun
gus out of the soil. but after severa
crops Of other plants have been raised, the
land will yield a good crop Of flax.
The practical results of Professor Boil
ley's discoveries are chiefly in showing
that flax does not exhaust land, that ar
occasional flax crop may be raised or
even 1lax-sick soil, and in gaining infor.
nation that points out how to protect un.
diseased soil from the contagion. The
last is mainly to be ACCOMPLISHED
by treating the seed with view to killing
the fungi. The treatment consists O.
washing the seed with solution of for.
maldehyde in the proportion of one pound
of standard strength to forty or forty-fve
gallons of water.
If the farmers OF North Dakota shall
3 generally avail themselves of Professo
Bolley's advice, the re-eminence of tha
state may long be maintained in flax rails
ing. New land may probably, by care b.
protected from fax wilt altogether, espe
cially if the farmers give up the practice
of raising flax on the same field year afte
year. In what danger the crop alread,
stands is indicated by the fact that prob
ably so per cent Of the fax fields of Nortl
Dakota are infected. It is doubtful
whether any sample Of flax seed is en-
tirely free from the fungus. .s.
Professor Bolley's work on flax is on,
more Illustration of the great assistanc,
science lends to agriculture in our times
For ages men have raised flax and deal
with flax wilt but it remained for Nortl
Dakota experimenter to ascertain tn,
cause Of the trouble and how to deal will
it. The modern farmer no longer fight
his foes in the dark. Science shows hin
s the adversary and arms him for victoriou!
conflict.
The schooI board Of Anol1a are appre
ciative of the work of the pupils Of tn
public schools of that little city in TIL
Journal Junior. The Anoka schools hay
won four prize pictures for superior writ
ing for the Junior during the year, whicl
is q very large percentage .consfderin.
the population of Anoka, and the boar,
were so pleased with this result that the,
nassed resolution tha mixing and com