The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1904-04-23
SHOULD TEST SEED GRAIN.
North Dakota Experiment Station 10.
sues Bulletin Urging the Importance
Of This Precaution.

North Dakota Experiment Station 10
sues Bulletin Urging the Importane,
Of This Precaution.
The North Dakota agricultural ex
pertinent station has issued Press Bull
/, letin No. 16, by Henry l.. Bolley.
Every year the experiment station
tests samples of seed grain for the
farmers of the state, making merely
termination or growth tests, simply
to ascertain the viability. We do this
during the winter months, as a matter
of accommodation, but stop short the
first Of April in order to have time
for our regular experimental work
which is very pressing at this time
terminating seeds is in no sense ex
detrimental, and we eight not to do it
Each farmer sending seed would learn
very much more by te-ting it himself
and by watching the growth that takes
place. Any one having good eyes and
who can count ! teot the germinat'
ing power and growth value of seeds.
Unless a farmer learns to do this
sort of work for himself he is always
liable to be sowing weak seeds or q
certain percentage Of dead grains.
The loss to the farmers of this state
from sowing biu-burred, bleached and
other types CT waai:oned wheat and
cats is, to my kno nlge, very much
greater than any che Nc!ld ordinarily
estimate.
There is much weak seed sown
every season, but t.lere seems to be
much more of it on hand this spring
than ordinarily. The weather condi-
lions of the last harvest we're such
that there is much grain that looks
we'll, has a good appearance, or even
grades well at the elevators, but is
dead or very weak. If the grain was
damp for a considerable time either
before or after threshing, it ought to
be tested. Farmers cannot we'll afford
two or three bushels per acre in the
yield, If a few cents per bushel will
insure strong, sound seed. 1t is a
cardinal point in agriculture that there
ought to- be a rapid first growth from
the seed.
It is a very easy matter to learn
whether tile seed VIII put forth a
quick, strong growth Take a deep
plate, fill it nearly full of sand or dirt.
Pure sand is; best. Lsy on top of the
dirt a sheet OF circle of unglazed pa
per or clean Noting paper. Pour on
water until tie sand is, Just nicely
saturated and the paper evenly wet
through. Count: the seeds to be tested
in lots of 100 each, and spread them
evenly OF the paper. Place another
100 of very good seeds If, the same
sort there also. SD that: yNu can COM
the growths that occur. 1nvert
plate over the seeds or cover
with a tin lid to kesp in the moisture.
Keep the germinator' at AM even room
temperature. Add enough water each
morning to keep nicely damp, and OBJ
serve what happens. In about four or
five days Il can c.curt out the bad
DR. weak seeds. 1t will pay to note
sort of grains make the strong
growtl.s, and vice versa. In this man
ner' one can soon become a good Judge
seed grain. We get. discouraged
with our profession WREN we get bad
grain to be, tested from the same men
every year. In some cases they &C
tualIy send seed of worse. type and
character each time.
If you don't like the plate method
described here, plant a few HUNDRED OF
the seeds to- be tested i'll a.. common
box Of dirt OF sand and keep moist and
in a warm place for a week to- see
what per cent shows strong germina-
ton. This is about all that is done by
us when the seed is sent. here. to be
tested, and we think that our time is
more to the state If itissspent.i In
the Fine Of new studies upon plant dis
cases.. Farmers testing .seed|for' them
are greatly benefited b, ythe ex-
p~erience and we strongly urge them to
the directions outlined i'm this
bulletin instead of sending the reed
to- the station for examination.