Sisseton Posten. [volume] (Effington, Sud Dakota [S.D.]) 1902-19??, 1906-04-13
mounted to about 10000 900 bushels

The worlds situation on flax is very
strong, stronger than at any time since
1901, and with nothing in sight to
make II weak
Europes principal sources OF supply,
Argentine and India, are both short In
their crops; Argentine with shortage
of 23 per cent compared with 1905,
and with barely so per cent Of the crop
OF 1904; the Indian crop is just being
harvested, and II is known that the
drouth at seeding time worked mate.
rial damage to the crop. The fnal crop
figures, which will be published next
month, will show a great shortage
compared with 1905, and this in turn
was only 60 per cent OF the 1904 crop.
Argentine will not start shipping on
another crop until next January, and
India will not harvest another crop
until March Of 1907.
Aside from the foreign situation. the
domestic outlook, Of itself. is strong
enough Consumption is increasing
materially every year, and last year 8
crop would have been barely sufficient
to supply domestic demands 1t VIII
be remembered that the crop OF 1905
was exceptional In its large average
yield per acre, and II does not seem
possible that It's average yield can be
again duplicated this year. The area
in 1905 was much more than 1t would
have been were II not that the spring
season was so exceptionally favorable
to a large area Of everything. with
tho rapid settlement Of the far western
part OF North Dakota, the large new
breakings OF the past three or four
years are no longer available for flaX,
and the trade will hereafter depend
on the product raised from smaller
fields, the twenty, forty or eighty-acre
fields OF scattered farms ...
The writer has followed statistics
on faaseed since IT first became a
prominent crop in the Northwest and
Is firmly of the opinion that the 1906
fall prices for seed will he higher
than they have been before in FIVE
years and much higher than at pres,
emit Should an accident OF any kind
occur to any considerable part OF this
years American crop the. worlds sta,
tistical situation Is acute enough to
bring about extravasant prices.
1t Is well recognized fact. that
fax cannot be grown continuously on
the same field owing to the disease
known as flax wilt. It can. however.
be grown continuously on the same
farm by so rotating the crop as tQ
bring fax ON each field but once In
seven TO ten years
Flax requires a good soil, as II Is
not strong feeder. and II does very
we'll following corn or q grass crop
1t Is no harder on the land than Is
any grain crop In fact, there is no
more fertility removed by crop OF
fax than by a crop Of wheat oats or
barley Flax Is undoubtedly valu
able crop as a small portion OF the
total grain crop raised. The average
yield In money value per acre has been
in the past larger for. fax than for
wheat II also has tho advantage OF
requiring shorter time to mature
than other grain crops, thus making
II possible to SOW fax considerably
later In the spring, which Is quite
often an advantage.
Barley.
Barley seems to be the tabooed crop
Of the Northwest, yet there is so much
good that can be said IN its favor as a
paying crop that | have been sur
prised at the treatment accorded ii by
many farmers. The usual way has
been to SOW IT after everything else
was IN, or after it was too late to SOW
other crops, and to harvest and thresh
It when time could be spared II a
crop is obtained, well and good, X
not. ck1-gc il up to Providence This
Is entirely the wrong view TO take OF
barley. Thore is 10 cereal grown In
this country that pays better II prop
erly cultivated and cared for Many
farmers do we'll as 1t is and il barley
can be raised profitably In the old slip
shod way there Is no gainsaying that
II cultivated on scientific principles
the average yield could easily be in
creased five 10 ten bushels per acre
and the quality advanced from rs to
80 per cent, thus making the cultiva-
tion OF this cereal second to none.
Barley should never be cut until 1t
is full ripe, as unripe barley is OF no
value except as feed Harvesting
should always bs done in dry weather
and, II possible, the harvested crop
should not be exposed to rain or heavy
dew If fully ripened and reasonably
free from weeds barley can and should
be stacked as soon as cut and permit
ted to sweat in the stack between
cutting and threshing unless stacked
- the time when the greatest damage
10 commonly done
When threshihg from shock it
should be stored IN dry bins and
watched carefully that heating does
not occur while sweating; il should
never be sent to market until after il
has gone completely through the
sweat, for when In heating condition
II Is unfit for mailing and worth only
the price Of feed. Close attention must
be given that 1t does not get musty
This condition Is very easily tested by
experts and prices are reduced accord
ingly. Farmers should understand
this II they desire TO make their rails
, Ing of barley profitable After II !:
once damaged no amount Of care will
restore it 10 its natural usefulness
Sow pare seed Of one distinct variety
and plenty of IL; mixed varieties viii
not maH evenly together and will not
bring top prices.
In view of the excellent demand last
fall for export barley and the large
amount shipped abroad, together with
A. .-.<....arat c,atln1.lz fax. f,itllra ralicac