Eureka post. (Eureka, McPherson Co., S.D.) 18??-19??, 1906-05-04

ftHstEs El Nrluua raaP
" q y
ny chas II. ThorrstorL Publisher
Duluth Commercial Rscord,

Wlar rotation crop has not, as yet oo-
tanned very arm footing In the North
vest although support Is gradually
coming to the belief that II should
have place In every rotation Of crops
II is undoubtedly a fact that the
great majority Of Northwestern farm
ers have considered fiaxseed as a pto-
neer crop and after on@ or two crops
have dropped it. In many cases these
crops were grown successfully on the
same land. year after year and from
this occurred the failures Of 1900 and
1901.
To some extent the dismal failure of
the 1900 crop, and large part Of the
1901 area, vas not entirely misfor-
tune. as it turned ths attention OF
scientists to discovering the cause OF
and a remedy for the failures.
Within the past four years more
has been learned about the ills TO
which the faxseed plant is liable and
methods for avoiding them than dur
Ing the entire previous history of the
plant and at the present time our
knowledge is very complete.
To the experiment stations OF the
Agricultural colleges at Minneapolis
md Fargo we are indebted for the
greater part Of this knowledge, and
especially TO the Fargo school, where
Professor Henry l.. Bolley has been
untiriug in his efforts to improve the
yield and quality of faxseed. The re-
suits Of his study are summarized IN
the following recommendations
use only plump. bright oolored fax
for seed. Treat all seed FAX every
year; the treatment was found by
many farmers to be a great success in
Aa02. Before treating clean all seed
thoroughly in a tanning mill until all
bits OF straw and chaff as well as light
weight seeds have been removed or
blown out. The treatment recon-
mendsd will not kill the fungus which
Is always 10 be found inside diseased
straw and chan because it cannot
penetrate 10 It. In a diseased crop
most OF the light weight, dark colorsd
and scaly seeds bear the fungus on the
Inside Of the seed coats. Such seeds
must be removed, for the treatment
cannot prevent these from injecting
the soil
use formaldehyde at the rate of
one pound of the standard strength tQ
forty gallons Of water. Spread the
seed upon tight floor, or upon can
vas, and sprinkle or spray on small
amount Of the liquid Ia fine spray
thrown by q small force pump is best).
Shovel, hoe or rake the grain over rap
idly. Repeat the spraying, shoyeling,
hceing or raking until the surfaces of
ell the seeds are evenly moist. not
wet enough 10 mat or gum, but thor.
euEhly damp. This can be accom-
plished without mating, II well hoed
or shOvelsd over. Leave the grain
piled for several hours The dry grains
will absorb the excess Of moisture
without iRiury OF mating and the
spores Of the disease win Do killed by
the fumes. IL takes about ons-half
cai.Ca Of water solution 10 properly
wet che bushel Of faxaeed.
After this care has been taken with
the seed recommend these further
precautions:
Sow an fax on compact, even seed
bed. as shallow as possible and yet
have IL well covered. Sow smaller
areas to fax and never follow fax by
FAX until a number Of years have in.
tervsned. | recommend the following
series of crops until we have learned
reasons for better one: ..,q,yfgrsF
FLAX. ~ rSt7 E.- ~
Wheat. oats or barley.
"Corn. or other cultivated crop, or
Gallow.
wheat. ,.~t.~r' 'rfr+t r''"'FT"'s.sa
Grass. saAs las.sss.ssaassA-s,ll,,,rs8s "
Pasture one or more years. then
aax II desired"
About rotation Professor Bolley
says: .s-.4.,oef sFr'''-'''
''It will be great source of wealth
10 Northwestern farmers IL, unlike all
others heretofore, they can so nearly
eradicate the diseases of fax from
their seed fax and from the soil that
they may continue to produce good
crops Of FAX. Think what boon to
this region IL would be II the farmers
May continue to produce as heavy
crops Of FAX on their lands In the fd.
ture as they do now upon new land.
This is a new doctrine, but do not
hesitate to say that such can be the
case and even much better crops than
are now grown. Remember that ii
was once quite generally held that no
one could tell how to avoid the occur,
renee of smut in wheat and oats"
However, the writer's idea that fax
seed should have a place as regular
rotation crop is based on the theory
that diversity of crops viii bring the
largest financial returns and this the
cry has been put into execution, with
satisfactory results, by one Of the
largest and possibly most successful
Of North DakOta's bonanza farmers
And II such was the result of his, ex
| periencs on the last crop, the 1906