The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-03-06

FUNGUS Threads.
The smut may live for several years
In = manure pile, but will gradually
die out For this reason, old manure
Is much better for fertilizer on .
corn field than fresh manure.
Since the smut masses that are left
in a corn field may assist In spreading
the disease, they should be cut out Of
the corn field during the growing sea-
son. They should, moreover, be cut
out before they have fully opened up
md spread their spores. and should
be collected and burned They should
not be thrown on the manure heap or
refuse pile. thence to be carried back
to the land.
Rotation of crops 10 valuable In
preventing corn smut. The reason for
this 10 plain. The corn smut In the
soil will not live many years, and that
which is in the soil will not damage
any other farm crop. After several
years, corn may again be planted.
with less danger, since the smut In
tho soil will have at least partl'' died
out.
Seed treatment has not been found
to be Of any use. The smut does not
get into the Seeding plant, as in the
shrinking smut of wheat, and hence
seed treatment does not seem neces-
sary
The sugar corns seem to have
M A1II
though no varieties, even of the lat
ter, are known that are free
Corn smut is found In almost every
part of Minnesota where corn is
grown. Some years seem to be worse
than others, due probably to favorable
weather conditions. Although the
loss is usually not as great as In some
states further south and east, it is
nevertheless considerable. Most farm
ers consider the loss too small to de-
mand any attention, yet the aggregate
to the state is undoubtedly large. 1t
should be noticed that the loss is not
measured by the deformed ears alone,
bv- also by the loss OF vigor and
Yield in plants where other parts are
affected by smut. Special care should
therefore be exercised with the sugar
corns.
quality. but the grass is not to
blame.
In regard to the second point. tho
poor yield of the grass, this seems
to be true to certain extent. The
yield may be good for the second
and third year after seeding. but from
then on It drops rapidly and fails to
be profitable This decreased yield.
IN the drier portions Of the state, may
be ascribed in part TO an absolute
hack Of moisture and In part also to
other causes. not we'll understood.
1t does not seem ~ II bronze grass
makes full use Of the moisture It 70
ceives on soils Of medium or Of poor
fertility.
When the bronze grass yields have
become poor. the crop may be reno.
waited b. severe diskins, or perhaps
more preferably by blowing. After
sod-bound bronze grass IL plowed. one
may expect It to come on with 70
Rewed vigor. and especially 10 this
true II barn-yard manure can be ap.
piled to the field. In blowing, rather
narrow. shallow burrows should b
turned, and they should overlap some.
what The blowing should be done
when the soil is moist and the plowed
ground b worked down ~ level a.
possible.
Before mentioning the good quail
ties Of bronze grass, permit me Ia
state two more Of it, faults. It does
not seed we'll from an ordinary drill.
Seeding must be done by hand OF
broadcast BY special wheelbarrow
seeder It does not kill out readily
when once established and this be.
comes more emphatically true upon
those soils best adapted to it,
growth.
Bronze grass seed II not expensive;
the stand Is quite easily secured; Il
furnishes pasture grass probably
unequaled by any other plant that
can be grown in North Dakota, sur
passing in many points even the ma
tive grasses; and finally 1t furnishes
. hay Of good quality. equal to tim
othy in palatibility and SURPRISING
timothy somewhat In richness.