Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-04-03
Flax Witt.

immune" or wilt resistance flax Seed
This is largely due to the widespread dam
age that the flax wilt fungus is causing on
numerous farms where little care has been
taken with regard to seed selection and
seed treatment, and also to the fact, that
numerous people have observed the selec-
ton and breeding experiments which have
been conducted upon the hax-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 believe that the experiment station
would soon be able to increase thesee of
some of the best types for general distri-
button among farmers. This seed distri-
button 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 dis
ease upon different types and varieties of
flax under different conditions 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-sck soil available at
the station does not allow us to carry on
these investigations and general seed grow
ing at the same time. We are, therefore,
unable to furnish seed in quantity as asked
by many of our correspondents. The fol-
lowing facts have been determined:
Flax wilt is caused by fungus which
lives year after year in the SOIL. Land
once infested by this fungus remains infest-
ed for many years. The fungus is intro
duced to new lands chiefly by means OF
scaly chafy, diseased seeds. The disease
may be carried to new land by dust blown
or washed from other diseasd fields, drag
ged in by farm implements, or introduced
by manure made from diseased flax straw.
For this reason all flax straw manure should
be we'll composted before used.
Seed treatment, properly done, gives
greatly increased crop whether the flax
wilt fungus is present on the seed or not.
Flax seed which has for a number of
years been grown upon new breaking or on
virgin soil which is comparatively free from
flax wilt fungus. cannot produce crop
upon old faX-sick soils. Practically all flax
seed contains the disease germs and should
be treated before sowing
Our selection studies on the college
plots and elsewhere show the flax grown
upon fax-sick soil tends to become more
resistant each year, provided one saves the
seed which each year natures from this crop.
Flax-seed, so taken from very badly dis
eased crop and cleaned in the farm way
in the tanning mill until most lightweight
seeds have been discarded, is found to be
much more resistant than the ordinary flax.
If this process is followed for three or
four seasons on hax-sick soil, almost entire
ly immune fax seed results. AS nearly all
the land on some farms isalready infested,
this method of work does not prevent
proper rotation being followed, PROVID-
ED ONE RETAINS HIS OWN HOME
GROWN SEED. Thus, any farmer who
has hax-sick soil can gain resistant seed
just in proportion to the amount of disease
which is in his soil and in direct proportion
to the care with which he grades to the
plump, heavy seed from his own crop.
Resistant seed can be obtained from any
of the standard types of fax seed, if this
process is followed. The resistance will be
lost Just as soon as the farmer fails to follow
up this method.
Conditions which differ from those in
which the seed was grown the previous
year tend to reduce its power of resistance.
For example, seed which was resistant on
sick. but dry, sandy soil, is found to be but
slightly resistant when placed upon wet,
heavy, poorly drained hax-sick soil.
In most cases. seed Of highly resistant
powers will show some plants which wilt
each year. This is especially true in the
case Of heavy attack by rust Weak
plants. tho. sick, may produce some light
scaly seeds. Such seeds must be removed
by the tanning mill each season or the gen.
eral crop Will speedlly lose the resistant
powers obtained in the first selection.
WHAT TO DO. After selecting va
riety of seed, which seems pure, grow your
own seed. It will be better for use on
your farm than any that can be obtained
anywhere else. If, on account of fax-sick
soil, only small yield is produced, be
sure to save this seed, as the plants which
prodrce coed ara more or 1ess immune tn