Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1907-03-28
Resistant Seed Flax and How to Get Il.
BY Henry L. Bolley, Botanist.

The North Dakota Experiment
Station has received numerous ques-
tions about "immune" or wilt resis-
tant fax seed. This is largely due
to the widespread damage that the
fax wilt fungus is causing on numer-
GUS farms where little care has been
taken with regard to seed selection
and seed treatment, and also to the
fact, that numerous people have OBJ
served the selection and breeding ex-
periments which have been conduct
ed upon the 1ax-sick test plots Of
the.experiment.. station. Many have
seen these plots of selected plants,
some strains surviving in spite of the
disease. and others completely dying
out, and thus have been led to be-
leive that the experiment. station
would soon be able to increase the
seed Of some of the best. types for
general distribution among the farm
ers. This seed distribution feature
has not been the primary object of
these tests, though later on it may
be taken up in a small way. The aim
has been to study the action of the
wilt disease upon different types and
varieties of fax under different con-
ditions .-of culture with the view Of
ascertaining principles and methods
which may prove practical, and
eventually be put into application by
all farmers. The fax-sick soil avail
able at the station does not allow US
to carry on these Investigations and
general seed growing at the same
time. We are. therefore, unable to
furnish seed in quantity asked by
many of our correspondents. The
following facts have been determined: {:
Flax wilt is caused by fungus
which lives year after year in the
soil. Land once. infested by this fun
gus remains infested for many years.
The fungus is introduced to new
lands chiefly by means of scaly,
chaffy, diseased seeds. The diseases
may be carried to-new land by dust,
blown or washed from other dis
eased fields, dragged in by farm i'm
plements, or introduced by manure
made from diseased fax straw. For
this reason all fax straw manure
should be well composted before used.
Seed treatment, properly done,
gives a greatly increased crop, wheth-
er the fax wilt fungus is present on
the seed or not.
Flax seed which has for number
of years been grown upon new break
ing Or on virgin soil which is COM
paratively free from fax wilt fungus,
cannot produce crop upon old fax
sick soils. Practically all fax seed
contains the disease germs and
should be treated before sowing.
Our selection..studies on the college
plots and elsewhere show the FAX
growR upon fax-sick soil tends to
become more resistant each year, pro-
vided one saves the seed which each
year natures from this crop. Flax
seed, SO taken from.a.very..badly dis
eased crop and cleaned in the farm
way in the flaming mill until most
light weight seeds have been dis
carded. is found to be much more
resistant than ordinary fax. II this
process is followed for three Or four
seasons on flax-sick soil, almost en-
tirely immune fax seed results. As
nearly all the land on some farms is
already infested !, this method Of work
does not prevent proper rotation be-
ing follow ed provided one retains his
own home grewn seed. Thus, any