The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-25
GREAT OPPORTUNITY
. FOR GROWING
FLAX
North Dakota's New Lands
Offer Unusual Chance
for Farmers.
(By Prof. Shaw. !

- AZ nsJ
The opportunity for growing pure
seed in the Dakotas and Montana is
one that should not be overlooked by
those who have and that is free from
the presence of weeds. All new lands
should be thus clean. In no case is
the opportunity greater for the grow
ing of pure seed than in the case of
max. hi arises from the peculiar
liability in that crop to be affected byN
wilt.
Whether fax can be grown entirely
free from the faint of wilt germs is a
disputed question. Some authorities
claim that these are to some extent
present in all flax seed howsoever
grown. and that under unfavorable
fest themselves. If this theory we're
true. then the possibility of growing
flax seed entirely free from wilt in
lection in a latent form would be
hopeless. Without attempting to set
tie this question the following facts
are certainly true: 1) That flax
grown on new land should be possess
ed OF much vigor. and that inherent
vigor Is so far a safeguard against
wilt and, therefore. as long as it is
claimed by authorities that wilt germs
inhere in all fax seed. as a measure
of .seafety it will be advisable to treat
the seed. (3) That to further guard
against disease the growers Of fax for
seed should use every precaution to
guard against wilt infection through
the threshing machines that may be
employed.
To the writer it would seem rea-
sonable that if good flax seed were
obtained at the outset from a field in
which no evidences of wilt could be
found while the crop was growing,
and that If the seed produced were
SNu,~ nm ~Avy 30 ,,-l~-k>I -S -
no evidences of wilt were present
from n year to another. the seed
should be regarded as sufficiently i'm
mune for all practical uses, regardless
Of the view held that wilt infection. is
present in all fax seed in the latepk/
form.
Lest. however, these. germs should
b. lurking o h seed. it may be
we'll to treat this seed to make as
surance doubly sure. 1t would be
interesting to know at the same time
whether fax seed could not be grown
from generation to generation on new
land wtthou showing any wilt produce
ing tendencies. even in the absence
Of the formaldehyde treatment. The
writer Is OF the opinion that 1t be
thus grown.
The employment of a machine for
threshing the seed crop cannot be
too carefully guarded. If the machine
has threshed some other kind of crop
before coming to the farm to thresh
the seed flax crop, the hazard should
be reduced to a minimum. OF course
the farmer who grows large areas Of
FAX for seed can afford to have a
small separator Of his own to do the
work.
Farmers who are growing max at
the present time and especially on
new lands. will do we'll to examine the
crop carefully for the presence Of wilt.
II none is present, that. fact may be
used in advertising the seed. The
helds should also be carefully exam
ined for the presence Of noxious
weeds. and IL any stray plants are
present as mustard for instance, they
should be removed. The grower who
can advertise seed crops that have
shown no indications of wilt and that
guarantee the same as being free from
the seeds Of noxious weeds. 10 sure Of
q ready sale for his seed, ana at a
price considerably In advance Of
values.