The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1930-02-05
HUNDREDS TO VISIT
SEED TRAIN HERE
CONTINUED from Page One.)

(ConClnueQ from rage Oue.J
ed States Department of Agriculture
and other recognized authorities.
These talks will relate to varieties
and sources of seed, Importance OF
clean seed and need for seed treat
ment.
The exhibits, carried in three cars
of the train, will show recommended
varieties seed cleaning equipment and
seed treating equipment. Specialists
in farm crops, plant pathology and
agriculture engineering will explain
and demonstrate principles in seed
selection and use, seed cleaning and
disease control. One car will demon
strate actual methods of seed clean
ing and treating.
A. j. Schwantes, farm machinery
engineer, University Farm, who is
taking a leading part, says there are
numerous reasons why farmers
should plant only clean seed. "In
the first place." Mr.. Schwantes says,
harvesting l.. weedy crop of wheat
or oats requires much more labor and
expense than to harvest without
weeds. With the use Of the combine,
the weed handicap becomes even more
noticeable because weedy fields re-
quire the use of the windrowers
while straight combining usually
would be satisfactory in clean field.
Larger yields must result from a
weed free field" he says, weeds re-
quire space that might otherwise be
occupied by the grain plant, and they
rob the crop of it's full share of soil
moisture and plant food.
"When you plant weed seeds con-
slider that it will mean loss at the
market. Many farmers are receiv-
ing increasing penalties each year
from dockage and reduced yields. A
single wild oat plant may produce
200 seeds, a mustard plant may pro-
duce 10000 seeds, whereas the num-
Der of kernels produced from wheat
seed average about 25."
Mr.. Schwantes points out that "the
Importance of planting seeds that
are free from impurities is emphasiz-
ed in the old but nevertheless signi-
ficant phrase, AS We sow, so shall We
reap Just as it is easier to screen
out flies and mosquitoes than to keep
the swatter busy, so it is more pro-
fitable to reclean seeds than to spend
time and money trying to kill weeds
already introduced. Destroying the
enemy beyond the front line has al
ways been found to be more efficient
than inviting him into the trench for
a hand conflict"
How impurities are removed from
the seed grain will be brought out
on the seed train by chart showing
the best methods of removing wild
oats, pin oats, quackgrass, corn
cookie, wild peas, wild buckwheat,
mustard and other similar weed seeds
from wheat, barley, oats and flax.
Weed seeds differ from small grain
seeds in size, shape and weight Of
the kernel and these points of differ
ence are taken advantage of in most
types of grain cleaning equipment,
Mr.. Schwantes explains.
The tanning mill is perhaps the
most generally used machine for
cleaning grain on the farm. 1t util-
ICES both an air blast to separate the
lighter materials from the heavier
and serves to separate the grains &C
cording to size. Other machines such
as wild oat kickers and the disk
cleaners use the length and shape of
the kernel as the basis of separation.
The spiral gravity separator works
on the basis of the shape of the kerr
mel, utilizing gravity and centrifugal
force. Barle yreels separate wild oats
from barley or pin oats from wheat
on the basis of diameter of the kerr
mel.
Wheat growers will find the disk
cleaner, which separates the kernel
on the basis of length, admirably
suited to cleaning this crop. In the
seed cleaning car will be found three
different types of tanning mills be-
sides barley reels, a spiral and disk
cleaner. Experts will be on hand to
explain the principles involved in the
operation of each of these machines
as well as the conditions for which
each is best suited.
A third phase of this exhibit will
emphasize the rewards obtained from
planting seed free from noxious
weeds. at is not difficult" Mr..
Schwantes says, " for the average
grain grower to clean his seed. Vari-
Gus types of grain cleaning equipment
are available to such sizes and cap
acities so that a machine may be
selected to suit the volume of grain
to be cleaned on any farm. The cost
of such equipment is relatively small
and the. time required for doing the
work is negligible when it is consid-
cred that it may be done during the
winter season when other work is not
pressing.
''In other words, the investment in
time and money! for obtaining weed
free seed grain returns big dividends
in the form of higher yields, reduced
harvesting costs, less dockage and
consequent higher prices at the
market, clean fields for future crops,
and a consequent reduction in the
cost IF v,rod,,c;ro. fnt,,ro cropc -