The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-11-29
Flax That Is IN
Z der Snow Is Good
Prof. Bolley Talks Of Conditions This
f,Fal-The Other Side to the Ques-
tion IS Here Given

should have stacked MS grain Delofe
the fall rains and snow came on" says
Prof. H. L. Bolley of the A. c. II am
one who believes that too many people
have given advice in this matter who
do not quite know what they We're talk
ing about.
''Very few Of the people who have
thus advised or scolded the farmer on
the subject of stacking know how diff
cult it is to make good stack, one
which will not spoil. Very few of them
seem to understand that the work of
stacking is much slower than the work
of threshing. One good man can pitch
bundles faster than one capable stacker
can stack them. It would seem, if this
is true, that there would be slight ar
gument for stacking if threshing ma
chine is available. The writer also
knows that, this fall, rains followed
the reaping so rapidly that there never
was a time when it was safe to stack
the straw. Straw can be threshed with
considerable dampness IN it, but it can
not be stacked under this condition.
1.-THE fact remains that very much
grain is under the snow, either in loose
bundles as in the case of flax, or in the
shock, as in the case of wheat and 9TH
er cereals. 1t is taken for granted that
every farmer knows that grain should
be dry as possible when threshed, or he
may expect to have trouble with it
from heating, moulding, discoloration,
etc. Just now have only two cautions
to offer:
"Those who did not get enough of
their grain, whether wheat or flax, or
other seed threshed while dry to provide
seed for sowing next year, should keep
it we'll in mind that they are not safe
in using any of the seed which has lain
out over the winter in the snow or 9th
erwise, for sowing purposes without
making or having made very careful
termination tests to determine its
strength of growth. Barley or flax, or
corn which has been frozen, in almost
all cases, is essentially worthless.
Wheat seems to stand such conditions
somewhat better. but is always dam
aged very severely.
''It must be remembered, however
that good, mature grain which was dry
when the snow fell on it may pass
through the winter SO that the germin-
alton is not materially injured. I'm
fortunately in most cases the grain was
wet or soft when the snow came.
1.-The second caution is special one
with reference to flax. Very large
areas of the North Dakota grown flax
either remain unharvested or are lying
in loose bundles under the snow. Dur
ing the previous year we had similar
experience. Those who tried to thresh
the flax while the snow was in the
bundles had great amount of trouble
'sto get out the ice and snow. Many of
them who shipped this mixture of ice,
! snow and fax to elevators and mills
slost very heavily on the price which
was paid them. In some cases the
grain was ruined before it reached the
sttliin cities by mating together in solid
cakes of mouldy heated material.
Many of them who left the grain un-
threshed until it dried off in the spring
Jared much better. Often such flax
seed was marketed in almost as good
condition as if it had been threshed in
the fall before the snow came. Some
farmers harvested flax that stayed ont
all winter, uncur, and yet saved large
amount of seed af good quality for oil
purposes.
..It is remembered, however, that no
one can be weather prophet. If it
had rained heavily during March and
April it is probable that those who left
their grain till spring would not have
been able to take it off.
ssThe meat Of the matter is essential
" this: Each farmer must study his
crop carefully and if . time comes when
) it can: actually be threshed free from
moisture, that is the time to take the
grain out il II can possibly be done. y
10 quite certain that there q only .
comparatively short time during the.
between winter and seeding time when
the grain win be dry enough TO thresh.
..It is not safe 70 ship fax seed IN
bulk even with small amount Of snow
49,