The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-03-30
SICK FLAX SffD
Experiments to Determine the
Cause of Flax Witt
A REMEDY DISCOVERED
Something About Corn Smut. Why
1t Occurs and How 1t May
be Gotten Rid Of

! Prof. Bolley, of the North Dakota
Agricultural College, has for a num-
! her OF years been experimenting to
determine the cause of aaSwilt, and
ito find a remedy for it The result
has been the production OF fax seed
surprisingly resistant to disease. Far
Their investigation has led him to be-
lieve that diseases similar to 1ax-wilt
attack wheat, and may be controlled
largely by the methods he suggests
fer the treatment Of flax.
Prof. Bolley's experiments lead to
the conviction that the flax disease
brings about immunity TO its own at
! tack. and that extremely resistant
seed can be obtained by the careful
selection of seed which each year ma
lures on "f1ax-sick" soil. Seed taken
from a diseased crop, and run in the
usual way through the farm tanning
mill. until all lightweight seeds are
blown out. has been found by
Prof. Bolley'S experiments to be de-
cidedly more resistant to wilt than
the seed ordinarily sown. The adOp-
ton CT this procedure for several sea-
sens, OIL fax-sick soil, has developed
such immunity to disease as to make
it seem probable that continuance
of the process. year after year, VIII
enable the farmer TO secure satisfac-
tory yields.
This process, however, should not
interfere with proper rotation OF
crops, especially when the farmer
uses his own homegrown seed. Re-
sistant seed thus obtained from any
of the standard sorts, however, Will
lose it's power of resistance to disease
upon failure to follow the plan out
lined. The Importance Of persistence
in such following. year after year, Is
shown in the fact that in most cases
resistant seed will develop some weak
plants each year. which produce
lieht-weight seeds; and these nustb
dislodged each season by the tanning
mill, Otherwise the power of resist
anoe gained in the original effort Will
be lost. The experience OF the Min
nesota Experiment station shows that
home-bred seeds of all grains are
mere likely. to produce good results
than seeds. brought from distance
or from regions where climatic ana
soil conditions are different.
Corn-simut Sdiffers in life-habits
from any Of the other common SHUTS,
and methods Of treatment are there
fore different. The covered smuts
attack the grain-plants in the seed
ling stage, although the smut-masses
do not appear until headjrg-out time.
The loose smuts gain entrance to the
kernel of grain at Towering time, anu
remain inside the kerne. until the
next spring, when the grain sprouts
The corn-smut, on the other hano,
may attack the compliant at any
time, provided there is young ana
growing tissue 1t for this reason
that il is difficult to combat.
Everyone is familiar with the large
smut-masses occurring on practlcaliy
any above ground part OF the corn
plant. These smut-maSses are mace
ND of countless millions OF very MINI
ute reproductive bodies. known As
SPORES. eacn one of which may lnfect
another compliant These spores
NAV be blown about by the wind, may
fall on the ground, or remain ON the
corn stalks which are used for fod-
der. thus getting into the manure
pile The spores may terminate un-
der favorable conditions; producing,
BY a process of budding, grea.
many other spores (sporidia). These
suoridia may he produced IN long
chains: they are very light, and may
be blown long distances by the wind.
If they happen to be blown to corn
plant they may infect it, causing
smut. The presence OF manure IS
especially favorable to the develop
ment of these sporidia; therefore pre-
cautions should always be taken To
prevent the smut from getting into
the manure-pile. especially since 1t
may live there for seven or eignt
years.
1t is clear. then. that seed treat
ment would be of slight if any value
in attempting to prevent the appear
ance of ccrn-smut. Whenever posi-
bic. smut balls, should be DESTROYED
as soon as they appear. The smnts
dust should never be allowed to go.
into the inarnre.pi'e. either directly
or BY the Use. of saniItted corn as fod-
der Crop rotation. such az VIII re
move danger of infection from spores
on the previous years COMMAND.
should be practseSa c. Stakmsa.
t'niveraits Farfa $50 =