The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1912-03-07

By PRor.
The question of securing seed grail,
good and true to name and ut reason.
able prices is usually difficult. 1t is
peculiarly difficult at the present time
because of an increased demand fol-
such seed grain with but little in.
crease in the supply. Because of this
the prices of really good grain are
soaring. 10 add to the dilemma, the
quality of the seed corn is this year
distressjngly low.
Of all the small grain grown in the
entire northwest, but little of it is
free from admixture with other
grains. The admixture runs all the
way from small quantity to not less
than ten per cent. and the proportion
in some instances is greater. That
such seed should not be sown will
not be disputed, but the question
which now faces the farmers is, how
can it be avoided? The remedy will
not come with much fullness until
the growers Of pure seed become far
more numerous than they are at the
present time.
Where can good grain be secured
with all the essentials which go to
make up good seed? 1t may be that
seedsmen have some seed which they
can guarantee as true to name. Those
who want such seed should try and
get it, even though they should only
get a limited supply. This will sup
ply them with good seed for the fol.
lowing year. Such purchases should
be promptly made for, with advance
in the season, all indications at pre-
sent point to all advance in price even
higher than the present high rates.
PURE SEED WHEAT
Prof. W. r.. Porter, Of the North
Dakota experiment station. Fargo,
has been doing all excellent work
during recent years in growing pure
seed wheat and also other grains.
He is i'll charge of the twenty-five
small demonstration farms of North
Dakota. He has been working on
this problem for several years, and l
am told that his farmers have quite
al amount of seed on hand. He and
they also send tins wheat out when
sold, in sacks that are tagged with
metal tag indicative of their purity.
Those who want such grain should
write to Professor Porter at Fargo,
and they should do SO promptly. Pro-
fessor Porter has no personal end to
serve in the sale Of that grain other
than the satisfaction of knowing that
it is the outcome of his work. The
varieties which he has thus grown
are the Red Fife, the Blue Stem and
the Macaroni or Durum.
PURE SEED BARLEY
Pure seed barley is very hard toget
in the American northwest and it is
certainly very dear. In North Da-
kota it has been quoted by seedsmen
at very high rates. Very much of
the barley, however, in those states.
is greatly mixed. Such barley is al
ways cut severally, when it is grown
for brewing uses. The best barley
found outside of seed houses at the
present time is to be found in Mon
tana. Good seed barley may, how
ever, be found in Canada, northward
from Dakota. 1t would pay well to
buy such barley where it can be OBJ
tanned, AS many of the Canadian far
mers grow such barley. II the far
mers of Dakota can get pure seed
from such a source, it will pay them
we'll to bear the expense of the duty
called for. The Maudschari or Mai
sury is one of the best varieties to
grow.
PURE SEED OATS
1t is even more difficult to get pure
seed oats than to get pure seed of the
other grains named, as but few sam
pies can be secured that are free from
wild oats. The best varieties to sow
are the Sixty Day for dry areas, and
The Swedish Select and White Russian
H0YYAY NYY Nvy