Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-04-08
"Ab0ut Seed Grain"

By the Van DusenIIanmgton Co., Minneapolis
The man with foresight and judgment and energy
does not without selecting testing and treating"
his seed
Can grain growers be made to see the enormous
loss they suffer each year because of poor seed?
Young, bright shiny seeds are best.
Light, shrrnken or weak seed of any kind should
be The best and only safe varieties of seed
for the farmer those that have already proved them
selves adapted to his locality. Continuous growth of
grain the soil does not cause degeneration but
the contrary, if proper is taken in culture and
seed selection and the seed be kept pure grain grown
come with each added year, better adapted to the con-
ditions peculiar to that locality. Importation of seed
from distance should be resorted to only when it is
impossible to obtain suitable seed near home, or when
variety is to be tested which latter should al
ways be done on small scale at first.
Shrunken seed as shown by wrinked seed coat is
evidence that there not enough plant food stored up
and that the little plant is stunted.
Grain SHUTS cause an annual loss which has been
estimated at 10 per cent of the value of the CROP The
yield of oats is often lessened 20 per cent Smut nfec
ton is carried by smutty Seed not by smut spores that
have fallen on the SOIL All varieties Of wheat oats and
barley are subject to smut, and all seeds should be
sated with f9%adsydS Make solution Of one
As gallons will treat about 100 bushels of wheat or 80
bushels of oats barley. After thoroughly cleaning
with tanning mill, put the wheat, oats or barley in
pile the barn floor Sprinkle with the solltion,-use
ordinary garden sprnklng can-then shovel rake
thoroughly Leave the grain piled for two or more
hours and then repeat the sprnkng and shoveng pro-
cess until you are sure that each kernel has become wet
+" Some farmers the grain in the bottom of the
:. bin for seed and thus many small, poor seeds.
They should select the seed for next years planting be-
fore marketing their grain
1t is advantage for the grain to be kept in the
pile night after treatment, because the chemical
has better opportunity to attack the smut pores Throw
horse blankets the pile to keep in the fumes; other
wise the smut spores the top grains not killed.
Do not leave the grain piled long enough to get hot.
Dip bags in the solution before sackng the treated seed
than you would SOW if dry. One can determine how
much by measuring before treating and again when
ready to seed. Wheat swes about one-ffth in bulk
Fomaldehyde is said by chemists to be nonpoisonous.
The largest and plumpest seeds always give the
best and strongest plants.
Sow only pedgreed varieties of grain if possible and
keep them pure. The market price always better for
pure wheat than for mixture. White oats worth
than black yellow or mixed The six
bearded barley has proven best for American farmers
See that it is not mixed with two row, four beard
less. When varieties mixed the chances that
the field of grain will ripen unevenly and loss in guam
y result. plump heavy kernel of grain will produce
stronger plant and nourish it better than will a
and have also shown that heavy wheat will yield about
five bushels per than light and heavy oats
about eight or ten bushels than light oats.
The age of seed has much to do with the vitality
terminating power
Flax wilt is caused by fungus which lives year af
ter year in the SOIL Land infected by this fungus
remains infected for many years. Fungus is introduced
to lands chiefly by scay chaffy diseased seed.
Practically all flax seed contains the disease germs and
should be treated before sowing Seed properly treated
increased whether fu1o,,
is present on the seed or not.