Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-03-23
WEED SEED PROBLEM
SUBJECT OF LETTER

In compliance to suggestions In
a letter from John Selenskl, a
Sturgeon Lake farmer, Rep. HAL
mar Petersen from Pine county
took up the weed seed control
problem which faces the farmers
through hres h in g operations
each year, with r. A. Trovatten,
commissioner of agriculture. Mr..
Petersen is in receipt of the fol-
lowing letter and copy OF the
Weed Seeds in Feed Laws"
which explains the situation:
In response to your letter to Com
missioner Trovatten and our CONVEX
sation | have the following report to
make concerning an act OF the legls-
lature to regulate or perhaps cause
the operators of threshing machines
to adjust additional screens for the
machines that all weed seeds will be
removed from the grain and seeds
threshed.
| have talked with several men who
understand the problem, including the
superintendent of University Farm,
at the Agricultural College. All seem
to agree with me, as l told you the
other day, that from a mechanical
standpoint it is possible, but from an
economical standpoint of both the
farmer and the thresherman, it is not
practicable.
Why? First to accomplish the
| hn n
would have to slow down in the total
output in bushels per hour, thus in
creasing to a certain extent the cost
of operating. This would have to be
passed on; hence more expense to
the farmer This would be in price
per bushel and board to the crew.
The lesser the speed the more the
labor has to be paid. In other words,
let's say for argument, a 20% de-
crease in output of bushels threshed
means the workmen are only work
ing 500 capacity. Now If the farmer
will provide his equipment with a
tanning mill, two or even one man
can at odd times clean all seed grains
at a cost of about one cent per bushel
or not over two cents at the most
Thus a much cheaper method of get
ting rid of weed seeds. Such trash
can then be ground fine to kill all
weed seeds.
If the threSher runs the seed out
on the ground as suggested in Mr.
John Selenski's letter, there would
be no end of chance for the produc-
tion of weeds and scattering of those
seeds about the locality, and again
the straw would still have as before
lot of the foul seeds in it.
The U. S. Department of Agricul-
ture has done lot of experimental
work on this very problem utilizing
wheat as the basis. An attachment
was built to mount on the rigs and
separate all weed seeds, thus remov-
ing dockage. This attachment would
cost between $1,000 and $4,000. 1t does
the work and if farmers would be
willing to pay the increased cost for
threshing, the threshermen would put
them on.
Another thought: Minnesota might
pass SuCli law. us cHIOTCCIueul
would have to be made duty of a
local inspector (town chairman or
such) with state supervision, but
North and South Dakota and other
states have no such law. The grain
is shipped in-cleaned-a the weed
seeds saved to find" their way in the
poultry feeds and mashes and the
dairy feeds, etc., just as they do now
Lastly, it is up to the farmer who
would have clean fields and grains,
etc. He can, by causing the thresh-
ing rigs to be cleaned thoroughly be-
fore his threshing, prevent the bring
ing in of weeds from his neighbor's
fields. The weed law covers this point
(see page 7-section g..
weed seed in feeds law also
protects the farmer if it is enforced
But it must be remembered by those
vitality interested, chiefly the farmer
that it would take an army of in
spectors to adequately cover the state
therefore, the farmers, those whom
the law is designed to protect, should
notify the commissioner at all times
ii violations are noticed.
Finally, in view of the foregoins