Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1914-03-04
SEED GRAIN.
Profit in Cleaning and Treating foI
Smut-Work for Neigh
borhood Clubs.
ny A. D. Wilson, State Leade (Minn

by A. D. Wilson, State Leader linn }
National Crop improvement. Service.]
There is no work on the farm that
offers prospect of greater remunera-
tion than that expended in intelligent.
ly grading and treating seed grain.
1t is but small task compared to
other operations on the farm and
amounts to but very little in cost per
acre, but the results are usually very
marked. 1t is quite probable that a
considerable portion of the increased
yields secured by some farmers is due
simply to the fact that they have had
better, cleaner seed.
No Decided Differences.
In travelling through the country, one
does not, as rule, observe great diff
ference in methods of blowing, har-
rowing and sowing grain crops.
Neither does he find great difference
IL methods of harvesting and thresh-
ing. Yet there is usually marked
difference between the yields on the
best farms and the yields on the
poorer farms. AS stated above, a part
Of this can be attributed to the differ.
ence in seed. The fact remains, how
ever, that but comparatively few
farmers do carefully clean and grade
their seed. Many have not the proper
cleaning machinery with which to do
q first-class job. Others are not en-
tirely familiar with the operation of
their machines. With good tanning
mill that will clean and grade grain
by weight, as we'll as by size of ker-
mel, good, clean seed grain can be Sc
lected from an average sample simply
by running through the tanning mill,
and the same process will enable one
to secure for seed the heaviest and
plumpest kernels. We have no hest
tation in saying that If 10 per cent of
the best part Of the grain was saved
for seed each year, the average yield
Of grain in the state might be in
creased from 10 to 80 per cent, at a
cost OF very few cents per acre.
Treatment for Smut.
Year after year smut appears in the
state and causes great loss. There
is no reason for this If the seed is
properly treated. Formaldehyde, which
is the material commonly used for
treating grain for smut, may be pur-
chased at any drug store at very
moderate price. One pint of formal
dehyde in forty gallons Of water will
make solution that will kill all
smut spores with which it comes in
contact. The solution may be applied
to the grain by sprinkling, by dipping
the grain CT by running the grain
through smut cleaner. The ma
chimes for treating grain for smut
make it necessary for all grain to pass
through the solution. On this account
it is almost impossibleto get any ker-
nels through that do not come in con.
tact with the solution. To make the
treatment thorough it is necessary to
treat the grain box on the drill, the
sacks and the bins in which the seed
grain is to be handled after it is
treated.
If the grain cannot be seeded soon
after it has been treated it should he
shoveled over to allow it to dry out
without heating. Grain that has been
treated may be fed without danger
It is almost universally true that seed
grain that has been treated for smut
yields better than grain not treated.
One reason is that grain which is
planted promptly after being treated
will terminate more quickly because
Of the presence of moisture. Another
reason is that the smut is prevented,
which allows every kernel to produce
healthy plant. A third probable
reason is that the formaldehyde may
have some influence in checking some
Of the other plant diseases which are
known to affect grain crops