Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-09-02

should be lost to the northwest.
and shall try to help the farmers
save the crop much in the same
sense as the wheat crop has been
saved from the ravages Of loose
smut. and the potato crop from
its various enemies. North Da-
kota alone has annually produced
approximately half of the flax
seed crop of the United States,
and considering the ruling prices
for the seed, the importance of the
crop is plainly evident. At this
time ! can only say that the flax
crop is not destructive to the fer
tility Of the soil, and that with
proper handling the new soils of
the northwest need not be infect
ed with the diseases which have
driven the crop ou- Of the soils
in the older regions, and that
with proper handling the crop
can be placed into profitable
growth upon the older lands
where the diseases now exist.
This can only be done by a care
ful consideration Of the methods
of planting, by the selecting Of
pure, clean seed, by disinfectjng
the seed before sowing it. and by
conducting proper rotations to
keep the soil free from the
growth of the flax root fungi
which may chance 20 reach it..
The Importance Of the question Of
pure seed and Of keeping the soil
free from the persistent parasites
which destroy the crop is so great
that if overlooked the crop must
eventually be lost in any particu'
lar neighbrohood. If farmer
fails to treat his wheat for the
prevention Of smut, he may have
to sell it as rejected wheat, but
he has not injured his land. If
he fails to treat his fax seed fol
the prevention of the root d.
seases he not only eventually
loses his crop but Injuries his
land for the growth Of flax there
after. Furthermore, he places
the lands Of his neighbors in jeop'
ardy. as the parasites which rot
off the roots of the flax plant ant
cause wilt live in the soil fol
number of years.
The department of botany o:
the North Dakota experiment. sta
tion proposes to aid all persons
. interested in procuring clean seet
for sowing purposes by keeping
up bureau of information. W.
f hope to be able to furnish week..
2 to anybody who so desires a lis
+ of seedsmen and farmers who cal
furnish flax seed which is fit 70
sowing purpose IS, and further
upon request, will supply inform
!, alton to any farmer who expect
= to sow flax as to just how to go t
work in order to disinfect tn
: seed and prepare the seed bed. l
you are flax grower and wish
become a part Of this pure see
: and pure soil organization, sen,
t in your name and address and tel
: us whether you want seed o
whether you have seed to sell
S If possible we will inspect you
S crop as it stands in the field
2 Otherwise you can send us sam
2 Piles or we will inspect it in tn,
bin.
Any person who wishes to bu.
= clean seed may thus have oppor
: tunity to feel reasonably sur
! that he is not going to run S
! much risk spelling his land TO
o flax culture as in the past. Thi
:, bureau Of information will b
y open to every citizen Of tn
state and of the northwest. Sen
in your name and help US boos
: the flax crop to at least doubl
y its present yield of seed. Re
member. if the seed crop is los
Q that the future possibilities {
u the fiber industry are PRACTICAL
y lost. If this industry is lost ever!
{ body will pay more for oil. #
u paint and for other products. "
) especially want to meet the ma
y who has a pure variety of fla
Z" seed or hopes to grow it.
It