The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-09-27
.BOLLEY MAKES
LETTERS PUBLIC
SCORES PEOPLE WHO GIVE AID.
VICE TO FARMERS, NOT KNOW.
ING WHAT THEY ARE TALKING
ARouT-WHAT SHOULD BE
DONE FOR RUST IN LAND.

To The Forum: I seldom publish
private correspondence, but here are
two good letters which will be worth
reading by a good many farmers in
this state and elsewhere.
Right at he present time almost
any body seems to think that he can
advise the farmer what to do, and
very many people are taking every OPP
portunity to give advice, but either
they do not have sufficient knowledge TO
state the truth, or they do not particu-
larly care whether or not they do, one
of which is as bad as the other. My
answer is self explanatory.
LaSalle, ILL.,, Sept. 20, 1912. Prof. H.
L. Bolley, professor of agriculture,
North Dakota Agricultural college,
Fargo, N. D.-Dear Sir: 1 own some
land in Canada on which l planted
some flax this year. Part of the crop
which was planted rather late in the
season, is affected with rust. 1 have
written to the seed house who sold
me the seed for information and I
herewith enclose copy of their reply.
/ would like to inquire of you wheth-
er there is any truth in the statement
that rust does not affect the ground or
seed. If their statement is wrong, will
you please advise me of the remedies
for the disease? Yours very truly,
G. A. Leroy.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sept. II, 1912.
G, A. Leroy, esq, LaSalle, Ill,-Dear
Sir: Yours of the 14th instant to hand
and noted. We do not think you need
trouble yourself in any way over the
fact that your crop of fax being af-
fected with rust. We r not aware
that rust stays in the ground, but
(. ,oroIs . eeo,k,. 4I,n vIo-f TO-, The -no
son. Chances are that you will have
no rust next year, unless the season
Is favorable to it's development, and
as advised in our last, this does not
happen one year out of ten, except in
very limited areas throughout the
Canadian west. Work the land and
sow seed on it just the same as If no
rust had appeared in your crop of
flax.
We note you expect to be In Winnipeg
towards the end Of the month and
will be pleased to have a call from you,
In the meantime, we remain, very truly,
Name not given.
Sept. "a, 1912. Mr., G. A. Leroy, La
Sale, ul.-Dear Sir: From the copy
of the letter which you received and
forwarded to me, regarding rust, and
stating that it would be all right for
you to sow flax the following year on
land which you seeded to fax this year,
would say that this is what has de-
stroyed the flax crop in the times past
| everywhere. With regard to fax rust
the letter is wholly wrong. Flax rust
is transmitted direct from the old
straw to the new flax crop. This is,
I think, definitely proved with regard
to fax, though l am unable to get
such information regarding wheat and
the cereals. Flax rust is a specific
rust for flax and fax only and goes
direct from old straw to the new.
Weather conditions, however, dc
govern it's virulence, and fax on new
land can be almost as badly injured lis
| fax on old land, but a on old land
where rusty straw is plowed in is sure
to have a chance to become rusty the
following year. ""r.-. "T
There is no specific remedy for rust
either in cereals or fax, but careful
seed selection and crop rotation has q
controlling effect on fax rust which
is very much more marked than in the
case of cereals. Common sense rota-
ton then is just the reverse of your
advisers information. First, as a
preventive. l would say keep the
brightest, plumpest seed you have, dis
infect 1t to escape wilt, and .canker,
and conduct a careful crop rotation
with regard to this crop for the pur-
pose of avoiding particularly rust, wilt
and canker, all of which are transmit
ted by the old straw to the new crop.
Under other covers we are maSNng
YOU a number of press bulletins which
may perhaps make this matter some
what palmer. Yours very truly.
H. l.. Bolley.