The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1904-04-28
TREATMENT AND SOWING
OF FLAX SEED.

L. FlaX Is not more EXHAUST
ing on land than wheat or other
farm crops.
2. Flax is attacked by a mum.
Der of parasitic fungi which are
transmitted from the crop to the
soil.
8. The crop so infected can no
longer produce a good crop of
flax, but will produce other crops
as we'll as usual, il properly
handled.
4. The disease known as wilt
In flax is sown with the seed in
the same sense that smut is
sown with wheat or oats.
5. When once in the soil it
spreads rapidly to all parts ad-
jacent to the first points of infec-
ton, so that soon the entire area
of the field is infected.
6. When once in the soil, it
remains for years.
Z. If flax follows fax on such
lands in close succession then
the third or fourth crop is sure
to be almost an entire failure.
8. Great success has been
reached by our method of pre-
pairing and treating flax seed for
prevention of this disease.
9. am warranted in affirm
ing that the results attained in
our own experiments and by the
farmers who have followed our
advice, show that the treatment
will give results in the hands of
the farmers second in import
ance only to those obtained in
the treatment of wheat for the
prevention of smut.
10. The crop can be greatly
increased in yield and the disease
can be avoided, but the methods
proposed must be followed very
closely or failure will result, and
unlike wheat smut, a permanent
injury to the land is sure to fol-
low, that's, it will be spoiled so
far as fax is concerned for a
long period of time.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SOUND,
PROPERLY COLORED SEED.
One cannot over-estimate the
Importance Of using only sound,
bright cOlOred, plump, well ma
tured seed when sowing thiscrop.
Under any but the best weather
and soil conditions, fax seed, at
best, makes but weak first
from the seed. Event if weak, i'm
properly cured seed could pro-
duce a strong growth, the occur
ance of this peculiar wilt disease
wholly changes matters, for all
seeds, or nearly all which have
ripened on wilted mother plants
are internally infected. Thus
every diseased seed is sure TIC
produce a diseased plant and a
point of fungus infection in the
soil, as the treatment cannot be
effective against the fungus on
the inside of such seeds.
ADVICE AS TO TREATMENT.
Clean the seed so thoroughly
that only plump, bright colored
seeds remain. It is important
to blow hard enough to insure
the removal of all dust, sticks
and chaf, for these also harbol
the spores of the disease and re
sist the treatment. Then treat
as follows:
Use formaldehyde at the rate
Of sixteen ounces of the 40 pei
cent strength to forty gallons o:
water. Spread the seed upon {
tight floor or upon a canvas anc
sprinkle or spray on a small
amount of the liquid, "a fine spray
thrown by a small force pump i:
best.) Shovel, hoe Or rake thu
grain over rapidly. Repeat thu
spraying, shoveling, boeing o.
raking until the surfaces OF al
the seeds are evenly moist, no
wet enough to mat or gum blu
thoroughly damp, (This can b,
done without mating if wellhoet
or shoveled over.) Leave tn
grain piled for several hours
The dry grains will absorb tn,
excess OF moisture without in
jury or mating, and the spore'
Of the disease will he killed h,