The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-12-22
WEEDS, SEED AND DOCKAGE

farmer The interest Is In purity the other In Inn
purities Whether he raise wheat flax oats
the Dakota grain grower wants good yielding variety.
In wheat he wants not only big yield variety but
with protein content that will bring him premium above
the ordinary market price In he will want variety
quick maturing that the handcaps of late planting
and early frost will be The heavy producing
varieties the sort Of flax and oats he will prefer All
these grains gain In preference the varieties
the power OF coping with dry conditions resisting
tendency to stunt damage the growing crops Plant
breeders In the agricultural colleges and experiment
tions along with individual experimenters have done
much to give the whole Northwest superior varieties by
various types of grain especially wheat
so that this region has such wleats Marquis. Ceres
and Mandum, the various types Of flint dent corns
and flax superior to any in the world.
II this the end and extent of the matter Seed
the prosperity Of the Dakota farmer as fixed as
the solar system But that Is just the beginning, and
what behind this stage is series of vexaous cond-
lions that nict tremendous losses agriculture Of
the state. For North Dakota farmers have
marketing their wheat and rye under the handicap of
heavy dockage Hundreds Of thousands of dollars have
been lost in the toll Of weed seed in the coarsey cleaned
grain while IN addition, smut in wheat and ergot rye
still further weighed down the growers loss The farm
erS have tried to find means to market their grain in
cleaner condition. but the annual waste toll continues
and this year Minneapolis announces that it has
found dockage in the grain this state than in
any previous year. This discouraging message was
brought to the extension workers of the state in their an
nual session at Fargo Monday.
The loss Is not only in the value of the ockage
has value for feed but there is the loss to the
farmers In paying freight to market mere waste to
them II the impurities in the grain could be removed
more closely the farm, not only would the farmer
have material for hog chicken feed at home but he
would save the money paid the railroad freight bills
on this waste.
In this connection Is interesting to note experiments
with weed seed in this country showing the immense
tenacy Of some Of them to produce years after maur
Ing According to Professor O. A. Stevens seed analyst
OF the North Dakota Agricultural college, 40 years have
rot been too long period to take away propagang
power OF some Of these outlaw seeds In test Of pig
weed It was found that 68 per cent Of seed the plant
buried that length Of time still were able to produce
plants and prove pests to useful crops Seeds of the
evening primrose terminated 40 per under the same
conditions while seeds of grasses and cookie did
not grow after five years.
The experiment referred to was conducted at consid-
cradle depth and represents only special case how
ever Professor Stevens suggests taking of the
weed seeds at the surface and there will be little to fear
from those buried deep in the ground.
The best progress in weed control according to Pro-
lessor Stevens made by destroying the seedlings and
preventing seed production This done by proper and
Sa'osousu cutVaton summer 1al0W1ng is one method
Of reducing the pest.
Annual weeds usually much greater seed producers
than perennas because is by seed that they are
reproduced. One plant Of the common pantan which
IS familiar weed Of the dooryard roadside and meadow
bears 3O50 seeds and plant Of the curled dock 500
seeds plant of wild buckwheat produces as high as
1880 sees and is not surprising that 1t is one of the
bad weeds. Professor Stevens points OUT plant of
wormwood heads the list of all the weeds SO far exam
ined by Mr.. Stevens. It had 10750o0 Seeds This is
biennial and flowers very late in the season so that
there IS plenty Of opportunity to destroy before is
able to form seeds.