The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, September 28, 1916, Page 7

1 ~ Choose Seed = Ve T s S Kl SR P ~ Expert Advice Caréful Selection and Cleaning of Grain; There’s Enough in State to Meet Demand s NQUIRY into the seed wheat situ- ation in North Dakota indicates these facts: i 1. That there is enough wheat of good seed quality to plant the crop of 1917. 5 2. That there is much more seed quality wheat in the present crop than has been supposed generally. 3. That the 1916 wheat will have ! to be cleaned to one-third; one-half or some other heavy remainder, to produce the right kind of seed. 4. That there is a large amount of the 1915 crop now being held for 1917 seed. 5. That owners of wheat apparently good for seed are demanding a stiff premium over market quotations, and that as a result of this little is being sold by them. The substantial corroboration of several different sources of information relative to the amount and quality of wheat available in North Dakota for planting next year’s crop, indicates that the facts of the case have been well ascertained. It has been supposed that there would be a severe shortage of good seed next spring, and this undoubtedly would have’ . been the case had farmers not heeded the warning issued at the recent gather- ing of Equity farmers in Fargo, and begun conserving all their wheat that appeared likely to produce good seed. But as the situation stands now, with much good 1915 wheat still in' farmers’ granaries, and the best of the present crop being kept.for seed purposes, there will be enough good grain to plant the North Dakota fields, if it is distributed properly. Distribution is an important problem in the situation, for some counties, notably Cass county, and others in the Red River valley are believed to be almost destitute of the right kind of wheat, and up to the present moment, neither the seed companies, nor the state seed commissioner at the .Agricultural college, have obtained grain” that can be turned over to. those who will need it. PLENTY OF GRAIN i BUT MUST BE CLEANED As to the quantity of seed that can be had ‘next spring, Director Cooper of the North Dakota experiment station said: “We are now trying to ascertain from our field men just what that situation-is,- but we do not yet know enough to make a positive statement. My present belief - is, however, that there will be enough ‘usable grain for seed purposes, but it will undoubtedly have to be:cleaned and the light grain eliminated.: Develop- ments might prove us mistaken but this now appears to be the situation.” Professor H. L. Bolley, of the Agri- cultural college, state seed commissioner, ‘who has given years: of special study: to wheat, says he believes there is-plenty of . e good seed in the state, but the problem will be to find it and then to bring grower and planter together. He said the other day that he does not believe any - county will be compelled to bond itself to buy seed wheat for its farmers. Relative to quantity and quality Profes- sor Bolley said: : “In all ordinary years this department would have little hesitancy in recom- mending grain for seed according to its freedom from impurities, its plumpness and general appearance, but we have found in our laboratory tests that this is no guide this season. Owing to the extremely -wet season we are finding much grain that looks perfectly good, but is impregnated with fungi that kill wheat, and when these are put to the germinat- Modet barns at the Agricultural college, seen through the shade-trees. for information as to where good grain can be had. What can we do? = The department is ready to do all it can, and we will examine such samples as are offered, as rapidly as our limited means will permit, but there will certain- ly be an enormous inquiry for seed grain by the middle of the winter, and we are not able to meet this demand. “We can send out word through the papers or circulars urging the farmers to submit as soon as possible samples of their grain for test, and perhaps we shall do this. But if there is a large response our present facilities will not enable us to. make the examinations as they should be made. We need another expert who can superintend this work, and we need a fund with which to hire advanced stu- ) ing test, this grain develops several varieties of fatal molds. These molds can not be observed until the germina- tion test. The grain looks normal and is just such as would be taken by the farmers for seed. “We have also found a good deal of wheat is dead, will not germinate although it has nothing in its external appearance to show it. Some grain which ordinarily we would say is ‘safe seed, because it is of good color and development, gives practically no germ- ination when put under the proper con- ditions. What are the farmers going to do in cases of that kind? Some of - 'this wheat is of the present year’s crop, but some. of it is 1916 wheat that has been kept ‘over. Under some condi- tions of storage wheat that has been kept will be killed so. far as seed value is concerned. WOULD BRING GROWER AND PLANTER TOGETHER . “The problem as we see it here is to find the good wheat, test it, and cata- log the growers so we can furnish: to buyers a list of farmers who have re- liable *wheat for seed ' purposes. we are getting only a few samples ‘a day and many of ‘these are bad. Ordi- narily we are getting large numbers of ‘samples at this time of the year. On the:other hand we are receiving .an increasing number of urgent requests Be careful this year of wheat that “looks good,” advises Professor Bolley. Much of the wheat being sent to the A. C. for test shows a low percentage of germination. plant grain which has not been tested. The aid of the counties may be needed to brovide sufficient funds to carry on tests. But Farmers should not dents to do:the manual part of the test- ing. We have 40 or 50 students -in the Agricultural College who are competent to do this-work but we have not the funds with which to pay them. I can see where we will be overwhelmed by samples and inquiries by January 1, and for the benefit of the farmers who will have samples awaiting test upon which depends their sale for seed purposes, there should be enough money provided to make these tests. If we can’t meet this situation many farmers will be dis- -appointed because ‘tests can not be made in time and they will lose their sales.” L FUND NEEDED FOR b TESTING SEED SAMPLES Professor Bolley, when asked for a suggestion as to this financial point, said that unless. there is an emergency fund in the institution, which he did not know at the time, it would be money well spent for county commissioners to pro- vide a small fund, sufficient to make the proper tests. It would require at least $2500, Professor Bolley thought, to make any proper headway, and twice that sum could be well spent. - He suggested that any such funds could be turned over to "President Ladd of the Agricultural Col- lege by the boards or persons = offering them with binding provisions that they be ~used only for this'purpose, or that they could ‘be used directly by the,l;oards to L There 19 plenty of good wheat in the state if farmers will co-operate to get it dis | erly, says the commissioner. Those who have good grain should write- to hire an expert to test such seed as seea houses may procure before planting time. “One farmers’ crop for 1917 would amount to more.than the entire sum that this department would need to do ade« quate work,” he said, “and it would bg economy for such a fund to be provided.” He indicated that it would be impossibla for the department, now short of help, to make the field tests that have been made heretofore, or to do all the labora« tory work. In the. laboratory of the Agricultural college there are now a number of samples of grain which careful analysis has shown contain some good seed, bu$ which will have to be cleaned to the best one-third or the best one-half in order to salvage it. To plant the seed as it ig coming from many of the fields would be to increase trouble for another seasom, procure a poor stand in 1917, or possibly, under unfavorable conditions, invite g crop failure so far as that particular seed is concerned. It would take threq or four years to cultivate wheat from some of the seed submitted, back to its normal condition. Professor Bolley ex+ pressed concern lest inadequate testing of proposed seed, should result in lower< ing the quality of the entire crop, or re« sult in many heavy individual losses where seed is dead, infected with the wheat-killing fungi, or of such low vitakle ity as to produce but a partial stand. Both Director Cooper and Professow Bolley said that some good crops of the 1916 season have been located, and D« rector Cooper indicated that through his field men efforts have been made to imw duce the growers not to part with such wheat at the present high prices being paid by the mills, but the temptation has been strong to take cash and some have done so. SEED HOUSES FIND GRAIN IN STORAGE Seed houses are finding plenty of grain in. storage on the farms, accord« ing to W. H. Magill of Magill & Co, Far< go distributors, but are umable to pro« cure it. The Magill company has locat< ed large quantities but up to date has purchased little because it believes the farmers are asking too much. He said that 15,000 bushels were found within a short radius from one ‘town, but the Wheat With Care company could not buy a carload. Mz, ° Magill indicated, as did Director Coopex and Professor Bolley, that there would have to be a good deal of cleaning dona to separate the good seed from the grain. ! “Up around Crosby,” he said; “thers - is some No. 1 and No. 2 but that ‘is all we know of in the state. There is als6 a good deal of No. 8 and 4 nerthwest of Grand Forks, which could be separated : ,(Continued on page 20) \ . O ibuted prop- the college ‘s‘ending ; | i { | 1 I i