The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1920-06-01
Evasion Of State Law by Many
Idaho Dealers Thwarts e.
fort to Elevate Wheat
Standards
By B. F. Sheehan

this state. one 10 usually confronted
with q conspicuously posted sisr
which reads a. follows: I'VE Sci
Grain Only for Feeding Purposes"
Two companies who have severa
houses throughout the state Stang
the following notation upon the re.
ceipt or statement Of . farmer who
has just purchased some wheat, oats
Or barley: This company refuses to
guarantee the purity of any grain OF
grass seeds that we sell or offer to
sell. and refuse to either guarantee OF
recommend same for seed purposes"
In brief-when farmer goes to
the average dealer to obtain wheat,
oats or barley which he may wish to
use to seed whatever acreage he may
have prepared, he usually gets it, but
only under the provision that he
bought It for feed grain" This he
does because he has to have the
grain. but when he gets back to the
farm it is usually treated, placed in
the drill and seeded.
Law Fails to Protect
The Idaho pure seed law covering
the sale Of grain designates that any
Of these seeds sold for seeding pur-
poses must conform to the require
ments Of the law and carry tag in
dicating the purity Of the same. Any
ANY grain below standard must be
labelled "Not for Sale" or "For Sale
for Feeding Purposes Only"
A majority Of dealers have taken
advantage of this clause with result
that there Is absolutely no guarantee
Or protection to the farmer upon the
grain purchased. This clause offers
an opportunity for the dealer to sell
much mixed and otherwise low-gradc
seed grain and in no way does it raise
the quality of grain that the farmer
places on the market
This very thing is forcing farmers
Of Idaho to look to some other source
for their seed grain and raise prob
lem that demands immediate atten
ton. Our wheat business is big one
and one upon which many sections OF
the state are dependent. Anything
that can be done to improve the quail
ity OF seed that is placed in the ground
will usually result in increased returns
when the crop Is placed upon the
market.
Delay u Fatal
Only recently the state department.
OF agriculture adopted the federal
wheat standards. All trading in whea.
i to be based upon these standards.
The standards discourage the produc
ton Of inferior grain and only place
premium upon the high quality pro-
duct The percentage of dockage, in
separable foreign material, the dam
age It any, mixture with other classes
OF wheat and the test weight per
bushel are all factors that determine
the commercial value of any lot oil
grain. The farmer who exercises care
in selecting the seed he uses and who
will not only benefit from an increas-
ed yield, but from the increased value
of his grain.
Farmers in every section recognize
the value of pure seed of high yield
ing strain from which to be able to
realize the highest market returns.
However. too often have farmers
waited until the last moment to obtain
their seed. They generally have to
be content with what they can get.
Many have threshed and marketed a
high quality product and returned to
the elevator the following spring for
seed. This they are usually compelled
to do in order that they may meet
financial obligations as soon as DOS
sible. Because of this it has been diff
fieult to hold the good seed grain until
seeding time.
Try New Scheme
Last year the farm bureaus in Ter
ONE, Cassia and Twin Falls counties
did much to enable the farmers in
those counties to secure seed grain
of the very highest quality. This year
the work b to be carried into other
counties and enlarged upon to a con.
siderable degree.
The Idaho Seed Growers associa.
hon have taken active steps to locate
the high quality seed and hold it until
seeding time in order that the farmer