Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-10-27
SHOULD
SELECT SEED BEANS
IN THE POD At ONCE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
GIVES INFORMATION ON
BEST SELECTION
DISEASE INFECTIONS
SHOULD BE BANISHED
AnthracnOse and Blight Cannot BE
Reached by Disinfectant in
Treating

Treating
Bean growers who would avoid a
repetition next year of the heavy los
SEES from disease suffered this season
are advised by the Department of
Agriculture to give their personal at
tention to the immediate selection of
stock of seed beans free from dis
ease infection. They should select
the seed beans i'm the pod and not
after threshing.
They should simply pick the pods
that are free from all spots, save and
thresh separately. The planting of
infected seed is primarily responsible
for the troubles experienced. Wealth
er conditions greatly influence the
subsequent development of disease,
but clean seed on clean land will go
far toward giving a clean crop even
in season like the present, which
has been exceptionally favorable to
the development of disease and unfav-
orable to the growth of the bean
crop.
Two bean diseases are commonly
prevalent, anthracnose and bacterial
blight. Both attack and spot the
pods penetrate them and enter the
beans, remaining dormant over win
ter under the seed coats, where they
cannot be reached by disinfectants.
When the beans are planted, these
diseases attack the young seedlings,
causing root rot, and blighting of
stem and leaves, and if the weather is
cool and wet, they spread again to the
pod. Bacterial blight is conveyed by
wind and other means TO greater
extent than anthranose and is less
easily controlled, but clean seed and
crop rotation will give best results.
Old bean ground should not be re-
planted next year.
As far as POSSIBLE each farmer
should save his own seed. Beans
have been so generally affected by
disease that the farmer should not
rely on ordinary so-called northern
grown seed or elevator stock for
planting. If he has to buy seed ne
should make certain that it has been
selected from disease-free pods. Exa-
mine all threshed seed carefully and if
it shows suspicious spots or other
evidence of disease it should not be
used. Home selection also will tend
to build up a stain adapted to the
locality and better than seed brought
from a distance.
A survey just completed shows that
there are fields in all parts of the bean
states where clean pods, or even
plants with all pods clean, may be
found, though some fields are hope
lessly affected. The farmer who ex-
poets To continue bean growing-and
this valuable crop should not be aban-
don because of this years discourag
ing cxperience-should pick enough
clean pods to plant his next crop, or
at least large seed plot. These
should be shelled by hand and care
fully stored. If the quantity is small
it would be well to plant by hand two
beans every IL or Is inches in ordin
AIRY rows in a separate seed plot.
There should be organized effort
on the part Of county agents, bean
dealers and community leaders to
have all available clean seed saved
general crop. This must be done be-
fore the beans are threshed.
How to Select Seed
Get seed from your own crop if
possible. If there are no clean
pods from more fortunate
Select in the pod not after
threshing.
Pick pods free from all spots.
Spots on the pods mean that an
thracnose or bacterial blight may
be hidden in the seemingly clean
seed.
Thresh yelected pods separate
ly.
Examine your threshed seed
carefully ana throw out all doubt
ful-looking beans, especially those
that are spotted or shriveled.
Rotate. Don't replant old
bean ground next year. Clean
seed and rotation are the best
crop insurance.
If you have to buy your seed
make sure that it has been select
ed by the grower from disease
free pods. Examine purchased
seed Do not plant if the thresh-
ed seed looks suspicious.
Look ahead. Insure a supply
of clean seed for 1917 by select
ing seed from clean pods and
planting il on clean land in 1916,
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