The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-19
shaw Says It is
ALL Up TO THE
III. FARMERS
Thomas Shaw Gives Advice
for Proper Handling of
Spring Seeding.

IN the Dakota6 and Montana the
fax crop of 1912 will be largely what
the farmers make it. There is now
about enough moisture in the soil and
subsoil to make the crop grow with
the aid of a few showers in the
growing season. The aim should he,
however. to make the most of the
moisture that is now on hand.
The very best condition for grow
ing fax is where the land was sum-
mer fallowed the past season. This
will hold good whether the land
was breaking or stubble. 1t should
be disked shallow in the early spring
II firm on the top, n simply har-
rowed If loose. This should be done
as early as possible in the spring in
ture. This land will be clean except
in areas where the farming is so
wretched that weed seeds have blown
in from the adjoining fields. in the
winter.
Next to this comes stubhle land
that was plowed in the fall. This may
not always hold rue of such land.
1t will. however, this season as it has
a fair amount Of moisture in it. 1t
should be treated in the spring about
the same as summer fallowed land.
o Land Coco.
After this and in some instances
quite equal to 1t sod land
broken in the early part of the sea-
son. The present season is peculiarly
favorable for such breaking. Equal
~ good crops of flax may be grown
from breaking three to six inches.
providing the seed bed is equally we'll
prepared in all instances. Viewed
from sho of nHnoint op1v NJ The nov
crop. shallow blowing will answer.
Viewed from that of future crops. the
blowing should be deep. In any event
the land should be pressed down as
soon as plowed. This is exceedingly
important. The SOC should be made
to lie firmly OH the bottom of the fur
row. Then a fine mulch should be
made on the top with the harrow.
Such firming of the land ought to he
done at once, even though the seed
should not be sown for some time.
When preparing land for flax it is al
ways important to have the seed bed
firm below and fine for a couple of
inches on the surface.
Land less suitable is stubble plow-
ed in the spring. as it then lies loose
~ and it is difficult to firm it. But
the present eason such land should
bring a good cropfif promptly pack
eQ Wnen plOWeQ.
Avoid Sowing After May.
Tho crop may be sown any time
after May / but preferably from May
] to May 20. The aim should he to
avoid sowing flax after May. This is
said with the full knowledge of the
fact that good crops nave often been
grown from June sown flax. But the
fact remains that the bad failures
from sowing flax lin June are far
more thar from sowing it
In May. Late sowing means late
ripeninE, late. rearinE. late threshing.
SO late as to Interfere with nreparing
the land for the next seasons crop.
The seed should invariably. be
treated for flax wilt. This is done
by spraying with q solution of forty
per cent formaldehyde and water.
The proportions are n pound Of
formaldehyde to forty gallons of wa
ter. The spray cannot be too fine. 1t
should not be applied too fast. The
pile of fax should he shallow rather
than deep. while the spray is being
applied and it should be vigorously
stirred with a rake so That the spray
will reach all the seeds and will not
wet them so that they adhere. AZ
ter lying under a cover for two or
three hours. the seed should be sown
with n drill. 1t should be sown I'M
ty pounds of seed are the extremes
as to quantity, the former where the
rainfall is fourteen to fifteen inches
q year, and the latter where the rain
fall is enough. Aim to bury the seed
not more than one TO two inches deep
and to have. the surface Of the soil as
smooth as possible.