The Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1911, 1911-03-17
NARROWING TIE FLAX cRoP
Prof. Bolley Answers Question of I'M
portance to Every North Dakota
Flax Grower.

Fargo, N. d., Mar. l1.-Professor.i
Bolley has received a letter from |
farmer near Ashley, N. D.. asking
whether it is desirable to harrow the
flax crop after it is up, the same as
wheat. There are many people asking
this same question, and the answer Civ
en- is as follows:
"Dear Sir: You can hardly use the
same methods with fax as with wheat;
even greater care should be taken in
the preparation of the seed bed. AS to
narrowing after the grain is up, II
thought best to make no definite rec
ommendation regarding that point.
Many farmers have not as yet learned
how to harrow wheat, oats or barley,
and I feel rather sure that many of
them would do damage to the fax
with the harrow. Any young flax plant
which is broken off by the harrow is
dead fax plant thereafter, while often
the injury to the top of the wheat
and other garins only increases its
after growth from the root
"Under certain conditions a very
light scratching of the soil might be
advantageous, especially where there is
much more fax sowed than should
have been. The loss Of few plants
would be more than made up by the
better conditions of the soil brought
about by the narrowing. Generally
speaking, however, I believe flax is too
delicate a crop to stand narrowing to
any great extent. Some farmers un-
der certain conditions Of soil and hav-
ing the proper tools, might benefit their
crop, but more would be apt to injure
it.
"Regarding the treatment of flax
seed, if you read the circulars care
fully, you will see that we specifically
state that all flax should be treated
before sowing We have never exam
ined sample here that did not COLI
tain a root destroying fungus. No mat
] ter how bright and plump the sample
might be, we have found this to be the
case'
Another farmer from near Rhame.
N. H., writes: ct had flax on new
breaking last year and it got frosted
did not get much of crop. Would
you pillow the land or disc it, and would
you sow wheat or fax on it?''
= The answer given was as follows:
"Dear Sir: The best crop yom can
place on the land this year is wheat.
If you try to plow that land which was
newly broken last year, you will make
: very rough seed bed and without a
very great cost cannot get it into
shape for sowing It has been the gen
eral perience that lax on new break.
. ing, followed by wheat, gives good re-
suits with the wheat sowet after a
:. yer ythorough discing and narrowing.
I recommend discing such ground in
the fall as soon as the fax is off and
doing it again in the spring. You prob.
ably have not done the fall discing;
but if yon will get at it as soon as you
can get on the ground. and 10 thor.
ough job of discing, followed i'y a
thorough narrowing, you will have 8
good seed bed for wheat.
"Rememoer that when I say discing
I do not mean just running the disc
over it once or twice to tear up little
loose dirt; mean that the work should
be done SO thoroughly as to give q
good even seed bed, all Of the parts
thoroughly looscned up on the surface
and smoothed down by the harrow be.
fore the drilling is undertnken.''