Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-10-12
SELECT SEED BEANS IN POD
AT ONCE.


repetition next year of the heavy
losses from disease suffered this sea-
son are advised by the Department Of
Agriculture to give their personal
attention to the immediate selection
of stock of seed beans free from
disease infection. They should select
the seed beans in 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 a season like the present, which
has been exceptionally favorable to
the development of disease and I'M
favorable 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 winter
under the seed coats, where they can
not be reached by disinfectants.
When the beans are planted, these
diseases attack the young seedlings,
causing a root rot, and blighting of
stem and leaves, and if the weather
is cool and wet, they spread again to
the pods. Bacterial blight is con-
veyed by wind and other means to a
greater extent than anthracnose and
is less easily controlled, but clean
seed and crop rotation will give best
results. Old bean ground should not
be replanted 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 he
should make certain that it has been
selected from diSeaSe-free pods. Ex-
anime all threshed seed carefully and
if it shows suspicious spots or other
evidence of disease sit should not be
used. Home selection also will tend
to build up strain adapted to the
locality and better than seed brought
from 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
abandoned because of this years dis
cOuraging eXperience-should pick
enough clean pods to plant his next
crop, or at least large seed plot.
These should be shelled by hand and
carefully stored. If the quantity is
small it would be we'll to plant by
hand two beans every II or Is inches
in ordinary rows in a separate seed
plot.
There should be organized effort on
the part of county agents, bean deal
ers and community leaders to have
all available clean seed saved for local
use, and not sold with the general
crop. This must be done before the
beans are threshed.
HOW TO SELECT SEED BEANS.
Get seed from your own crop if
possible. If there are no clean pods
in your own crop try to secure clean
pods from more fortunate neighbor.
Select in the pod, not after thresh-
ing.
Pick pods free from all spots. Spots
on the pods mean that anthracnose
or bacterial blight may be hidden in
the seemingly clean bean.
Thresh selected pods separately.
Examine your threShed seed care
fully and throw out all doubtful-look-
ing beans, especially those that are
spotted or shriveled
Rotate. Don't repIant 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 selected by the
grower from disease free pods. Ex-
anime purchased seed. Do not plant
if the threshed seed looks suspicious.
Look ahead. Insure a supply of
clean seed for 1917 by selecting seed
from clean pods and planting it on
clean land in 1916.