Cottonwood chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1917-current, 1917-10-05

The Farmers Institute held here
Tuesday and Wednesday under the
auspices of the Commercial Club was
an unqualified success in every way.
While the attendance the first day
was not as large as might be desired,
the second day made up for it and
was all that could be expected, since
the farmers are still in the harvest
fields in some sections and the seeding
of fall grain has just begun. But it
was jolly crowd and everyone felt
that his time had been very enjoyably
spent.
The lecturers handled their subjects
in an able and entertaining manner
and the closest attention was given
them. Our band also received many
compliments and great deal of the
credit for the success of the program
is due them for their liberal response.
w. B. Hussman ably filled the po-
sition of chairman for the various
lectures, in his usually easy and bril-
liant manner.
The first number on the program
was talk by Mr. A. E. Wade, agri-
culturist for Lewis county, on the
smut problem. This problem has
baffied our greatest scientists and ag-
riculturists, and while they in a gen.
eral way agree as to the character Of
this parasite, how it infects the plant
and the manner in which it gratis it.
self onto the grain stalks and thus
displaces the grain, little progress has
been made as how to eleminate or con.
troll this parasite.
Mr.. Wade has made this special
study, realizing that this was the
greatest problem confronting the
Lewis county farmers and that if he
could overcome this he could save
the farmers over 100000 every
year.
That he has made considerable
progress along this line is vouched fol
by the Lewis county farmers. Mr.
Wade's conclusion is that proper treat
ment of the seed and seeding very
early, that is, prior to August 18th, OIL
very late fall seeding is the best.
Particularly he advises against
seeding Immediately after the first fall
rains, for then the smut-spores on tht
ground that may have been carried
there by the wind from neighboring
fields will start growing at the same
time as the grain and infection is un
avoidable.
Instead of seeding at such time h,
advises cultivation of the land so tina
the smut-spores will sprout and will
die before the wheat is seeded. Thi
takes only little while, because tn
smut-spores, while they will sprou
they cannot grow unless they graf
themselves onto some other plant
The infection starts at the root of th
grain and not at the head or the kel
mel as is generally supposed.
He classed smut as a plant cancer
1t should be the object then, and tina
is Mr.. Wade's contention, that tn
only way to kill the smut is by cult
walton after the dry season is ovel
because otherwise the field may agai
become infected by winds BLOWN
from neighboring fields.
Where this advice has been carrie
out the per cent of smut has been II
duced by at least IS per cent owe
fields where seeding was done immeC
lately after the first fall rains.
Mr.. Chas. Waggoner, director of
branch of the Farm Markets Burea
for the northern part of the state, b
ing stationed at Post Falls, also mad
brief address on the objects of th
Farm Markets Bureau. He explain
ed in several instances how b
department had helped the farmers
that section in marketing and co-ope
ative buying. Also that hencefort
before any industry of a co-Operati'
nature such as cold storage plant
creameries, cheese factories, dryir
plants, ETC., in which the farmers a