The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1904-02-13
SMU91Y WHEAT
How to Prevent q Dire Ca
lamity and Save Much
Money Thereby.

neapolis believes the wheat supply
of the Northwest is threatened by
smut, which has worked its way
into all sections, and which is tax.
ing millions of dollars from the
farmers every year in loss of grade
1t SAYS
The receipts Of wheat at Mime
apolis show a percentage OF No.
Northern wheat much below the
standard of a few years ago. So
serious is the menac Of smut that
the proposition has been made TO
option delivery No. 2 Northern
wheat, in order that there may
be available IL sufficient quantity
"to do business on"
The elevator companies have at
tempted to furnish farmers with
pare seed wheat in ono or two sea-
sons. but their efforts met with cold
0Os
reception. Because a small pre-
MUM was charged, which was cost
price Of the wheat, however, farm
ors took the narrow view and de-
clared that the elevators were
working a DEAL not seeking an
ANALYSIS that would have convinced
them of their fallacy. ,
1t is true that northwest wheat
has lost something of productive
quality because of too steady crop
ping Of the land, but that will not
explain the Resolving of deceased.
There are farmers who will SOW
wheat that in the nature of seed
cannot produce healthy wheat. A
few dollars spent for seed might
bring quadruple return. In the
face of this stern proposition, the
farmers Of the Northwest look on
while their seed produces perhaps
one half Of It's capacity with care
used as to seed and preparation of
soil.
That the subject is live and vital
is evidenced by elevator companies
which are quoted at considerable
length. The Woodwork Elevator
company SAYS
"a very large proportion of the
wheat raised in the Northwest this
year was infected with smut. It
cost the farmers a good deal of
money because the grade was low
cred on much of the wheat from
No. l Northern to rejected and
many ears that graded No. 2 be-
cause of smut would have graded
No. l Northern had the wheat been
free from smut. There is nothing
harder for an elevator company to
handle without loss than smutty
wheat, because every time it is put
through the elevator, either in the
country or Minneapolis, it breaks
up the smut and smears it over the
wheat. This fact is we'll understood
by most people who have anything
to do with growing or handling
crops, and it is greatly to be hoped
that a determined effort will be
made during this winter and spring
to induce farmers to treat their seed
wheat thoroughly for the preven-
ton Of smut before putting in the
next crop. Where this has been
done carefully and the right meth
dds employed the results have been
verv grafifying.'
The VanDusen- Harrington COM
pany urges improvement of seed,
using grain from your own farm or
the neighbours rather than grain
shipped in. In acircular, theysay:
"Don't SOW soft or bin burned
wheat, and don't SOW dark colored
OF scaley fax-certainly not with
ouo manning oulCdOlc ScIlu1udIlOu
tests. Ii you do not understand
testing seeds, send samples to the
experiment station or agricultural
college of your state with the re-
quest that they be tested, and it
will be done without cost"
DON'T sow sMUTTY WHEAT.
"There are several methods of
treating seed wheat to free it from
the smut spores-the treatment
most in use being with blue stone,
lime, hot water and formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde has proved the most
satisfactory medium so far discov-
cred. It is used as follows:-Make
4 solution of liquid formaldehyde
1.-THE druggist may call it 40 per
cent formaldehyde) using at the
rate. Of one pound to forty-fve gal
ions of water. Put the wheat in a
pile on the barn floor. Sprinkle
the pile thoroughly with the solu-
lion and shovel over. leave tho