The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-12-13
Wet Wheat Very
Hard to Handle
Not as Desirable For Sowing Pur-
poses as Grain Harvested Dry
and Hard

SSAAW
u One of the most interesting studies
which we have heen able to conduct at
the department of botany at the agri-
cultural college deals with the relation
of wet seed grain to root diseases and
crop production. Some of the results
which we have obtained in our studies
are very interesting and believe when
fully understood will have marked
bearing upon the agriculture of the
state.
Farmers and experimenters have al
ways understood that wet, soft grain
is not as desirable for seed for sowing
purposes as similar grain which have
been harvested dry and hard. It is a
known fact that grain which is allowed
to become damp and soft at harvest
time never does yield as we'll as hard
grain, even though the first sprouting
or termination of the softened grain
does not seem to be materially affected.
Our seed and labratory studies have
given some new light upon the subject.
These are some of the facts:
l. If field of wheat of the same
quality is harvested in different ways,
SO that one portion is saved compare
lively dry while the other is allowed to
get wet in the shock, the wet grain is
found to be more or less bleached or
bIistered, musty or mouldy and off
grade as to color and hardness, while
similar grain from same area which
has been stored under cock covers,
stacked while dry or saved dry in other
manner is found to be hard and bright
colored and spoken of as high grade,
true to color and hardness.
2. The roots of the young plants
which grow from the hard grains are
apt to come pure and white and COM
paratively free from disease, when
planted upon clean land.
8. It is practically impossible to dis
infect the seed from the grain which
has been allowed to become wet in the
shock or in the bin so as to produce a
comparatively,healthy growth of roots.
If both Of the types of seed are disin-
fected in the usual manner and planted
the same day upon same clean soil, it
is observed that the seed from the egrain
which was allowed to become damp and
mouldy in the shocks does not stool as
in the case of the hard seed which has
also been disinfected. The secondary
stools come out blighted, 'ttip burned. {"
4. The plants which come from the
disenfected seed which was wet in the
shock carry with them more Of the
various types of root diseases in the
various stages of development than are
to be seen upon the plants from the
disinfected hard, dry seed.
5. The PERCENTAGE of plants which
produce poorly filled heads is very
much greater in the case of the crop
which came from the soft seeds s
s. There is also larger. per centage
of shrivelled grain from the soft seed
at threshing time.
2. When the individual grains are
studied it is found that there is larger
percentage of factual internally diseased
sonesFin the crop that came from the
soft seed than in that which came from
sthe hard lot.
s These facts hold true with reference
to flax. If good crop Of mature flax
is harvested in such . manner that one
.half.of it is saved and threshed dry
while the other half is harvested in
such manner as to allow the crop to
become mouldy or musty in the punches
or bundles. the crop from the dry seed
may be graded and so ;disinfect that it
will be good seed for sowing purposes
and very little, if any, disease will be
carried to the new land. On the other
hand, that which was allowed to get
moaldy and musty in the bundles is
bound to produce seed of a scurfy,
mouldy, eryptiye appearance and we
find that the interior of such seed is
more or less filled. especially under the
seed oats, with the moulds, mildews OF
iilamants Of the fungi which produce
the dseases known as wilt and canker.
Such flaments are usually 90 well pro-
tected by the mucilage or the seed coats
that no method Of ;fdisinfecting can
sAch them without destroying the
germinating power Of the seed. Thus
hax seed which has been allowed to get
vet and mouldy in the bundles is diff
,cult . treat and disinfect 20 Is to pre-
vent the introduction Of disease into
the soil Of new lands. !s5 .-154.
Il is evident therefore, that one of
the chief injuries occasioned by the
wetting Of the seed grain ins The shock
or bin i due to the opportunity given
to the root disease, whether of AJAX,
vAeat or other cereal lto grow into or
in,bed themselves,in the seeds ii such