The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-01-21

Continued from Page Six.
bur forms two large seeds in each bur
only one of which will terminate the
following year. The other usually
| sprouts on the second, or third year.
Some wild oat plants produce seeds
which will not grow the first season
even though given an opportunity.
Some wild oat plants produce seeds
only a part of which terminate the
same season, the remainder germinat-
| ing the following year If given oppor-
| tunity, or resting longer IL buried un-
der dry soil conditions Common pig
con grass will seldom terminate freely
| Until May or June of the following
year. Again, in the case Of most weed
seeds, liz they are buried below a certain
depth no termination occurs. Com
mon mustard seldom terminates In
Red River valley soil deeper than two
and half inches. Wild oats will come
through five inches. PEPPER grass will
seldom sprout If over an inch deep,
and so on one might list great series
| Ordinarily weed seeds Of small weight
terminate only when comparatively
near the surface. A knowledge of such
facts is necessary TO fix the time and
depth of cultivation.
A failure to understand each weed
with reference to such features as those
noted brings most farmers into trouble
sooner or later. Usually such features
are the cause Of the failure of men who
do a large amount of cultivation, yet
fail in cleaning up their land.
Plant Diseases-Ther Characteristics.
So il lis I'M the case OF the parasitic
diseases of farm crops. Each partic
ular disease producing parasite or fun
gus has through long ages of evolution
airy development learned to attack its
host In a particular manner. Some at
tack by wind borne spores. lighting
upon the leaves and foliage or seeds
penetrating at any point where there
Is moisture which allows them to ger
inmate. AS for example the trusts, corn
smut and potato blight. Certain others
make their attack chiefly by way OF the
seed or the soil as for. example, stink
ing smut of wheat and loose smut of
oats. potato scab and fax wilt. Some
of the diseases seem to be able TO at
tack their host in only one way. Thus,
sinking smut OF wheat attacks essen
tally only from the seed when the plant
is very young; and seed disinfection is
therefore thoroughly effective. Seed
disinfection is a mode of preventing
or reducing the occurrence OF very many
of our crop diseases. A great many
diseases, such as fax wilt, potato scab
rott rot of wheat, and numerous blights
etc. accumulate on the straw or stalks
and stems and multiply with great
rapidiry upon the old refuse material
OF the last years crop and In many
cases develop rapidly and spread In
the humus of the soil, washed here and
there by the food waters, etc. Farm
ers should understand this feature with
regard to plant diseases for large areas
of their land are often spoiled for par
ticular crops by unjudicious use of un-
decayed bedding, straw and manure
taken from their feeding yards. 1t is
easy by the use of manure made from
flax straw to make 1T impossible to
raise any fax on q piece of virgin
prairie sod. Likewise soil can be spoil
ed In one year for potato culture by
the use Of old refuse materials from
diseased crops Late work with wheat
shows that many of Its diseases are
distributed In like manner
The Manure spreader.
Here Is where an innocent use OF a
valuable tool. them anure spreader, Is
bringing about great havoc. The man
ure spreader itself Ii one Of the most
valuable tools that has been invented
for farm use. but it's use for spreading
manures direct from the stable as a
source of distributing weed seeds and
plant diseases upon the land ID unriv-
aIed by any farm process. The bedding
| litter and the fresh uncoanposed dung
often, according 10 the type or feed and
| 1irter used. carries great masses OF
weed seeds TO the lands that never
previously produced them In the case
OF fungus diseases such as potato rot,
fax wilt, and the various blights which
| are largely accountable FOR the deter
ioration Of the wheaE crop In the north