The roundup record. [volume], March 29, 1912, ANNIVERSARY-EASTER EDITION-1912, Image 13

About The roundup record. [volume] (Roundup, Mont.) 1908-1929

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
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ROWING FLAX ON
THE NEW LANDS
(By H. L. Bolley)
T HE high price of flax seed and
of its various by-products, as
sociated with the effects of the
great drouth which has occurred in
he flax growing regions of America,
ends to make the question of crop
ling to flax one of extreme interest.
The short crop of 1910 was, in part,
lue to the excessive drouth and in
mrt to the vetry intense action of the
•oot diseases of flax under drouth con
litions. The drouth not only cut down
he yield on new land where clean and
»roperly treated seed was sown, but
in those lands which were infected by
oot diseases, it practically eliminated
he crop.
Many of the finest fields that were
o be seen growing during this season
ilso suffered by early frosts. In most
iases, the flax was late on these fields,
lot because the farmers had sown too
ate, but because the condition of the
:eed bed prevented germination until
a in fell.
This very drouthy year, therefore,
ihouid not be taken as an index as to
vhat can be done with flax in the fu
ure. And, now that W'e know most
tauses which have brought about the
•apid deterioration of the crop on new
ands there is no reason why flax seed
growing should not prosper in a man
ier not previously possible, it was
ong known that flax is subject to rust
in d blights, but it only of late years
hat investigations have been such as to
lemonstrate that plant diseases infest
ng the soil are the chief causes of the
rapid deterioration in flax yields on
lew lands.
It is the history of the flax crop, that
m new lands it at first is a success,
t»ut that after comparatively few crops
the yield rapidly falls until it is no
longer profitable. Farmers have usual
ly assumed that the soil is depleted
ihemically, that some necesary chemi
sai element is r moved and many not
ed agriculturists have claimed that
flax cropping .s hard on the soil. Injur
ing it for other crops. These beliefs,
1 believe, have been disproved. Flax
is not particularly hard upon the soil,
but the methods of cropping have usu
ally been careless and of'such nature
that the soils speedily become infect
ed by flax parasites, which destroys
the plants.
These considerations make the ques
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tions as to what to do in order to gro.
flax on new lands and upon old lands
of the greatest importance.
Essentials of Flax Cropping
(1) . The first essential in rî ix crop
ping is to clearly appreciate that the
diseases which bring about deteriora
tion of the crop are transferred from
li> id to field primarily by the seed,
but often by the blowing of dust from
infected flax lands, by drainage waters
bv plows, harrows, threshing equip
ments, infected manures, etc. It is,
therefore, of first importance (that
careful methods of preventing soil in
fection should be followed every year
by all growers. Unless farmers are
willing to persistently make every ef
fort to prevent the introduction of the
root killing diseases into the soil, there
! can be very slight hopes of retaining
the flax crop as permanent element of
agriculture in any community.
(2) . The next essential rests in
I proper crop rotation and proper seed
! bed formation.
I Preparing New Lands for Sowing
i If the seed is to be placed on new
breaking, best results usually follow
spring plowing. The seeding should
be done as soon as possible after the
plow. The moist earth and compact
seed-bed gives a rapid first growth
'and the crop is usually comparatively
free from weeds, if the land is brok
! en in the fall, it is apt to be filled with
any of those weed seeds which may be
blown and tumbled by winter winds,
and these plants make strong competi
tors with tlte flax on newly broken
I areas, unless special provisions are
made for destroying them before seed
' time.
How to Proceed in Spring Breaking
: Break the sod as deeply as can be
! done and yet have the furrow slices
lie flat. The plow shonld be followed
by a heavy roller or some similar soil
packing tool. The large corrugated
type of metal rollers or clod crushers
do a splendid sort of work on new
! breaking, tending to loosen the dirt
I from the masses of grass roots. A
good roller for such work can be made
at home by the use of concrete. The
roller should be followed by a peg
tooth harrow, drawn parallel with the
furrow slices, the harrowing being
done to further loosen the dirt suffi
ciently to fill the spaces between the
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i furrows and to furnish cover for tbo
I seed. The drill should immediately fol
| low the plow, roller and harrow, plac
ing the seed into the moist, firm seed
j bed thus prepared. Follow the drill
I immediately by a heavily weighted
I float or stone boat or roller, drawn
jover the surface to level, firm down
I tiie soil, and cover the seed.
If tiie work of plowing is done with
a heavy traction plowingrig,allot these
operations can lie done at one time.
This gives great advantage to the flax
ever any method of planting which
'■■operates the plowing, rolling, liarrow
i a and cover.ng process, because the
e<l falls at once into the moist ground
■ while if nie operations are conducted
: sepoi ately the soil tends to dry out
I rapidly. If the operations are done
•seperately, they should follow each
other ns soon as possible. Even tho
each implement is drawn by seperate
power, the order of work should be as
' nearly immediate as possible, and tiie
seeding should be done immediately
following the first harrowing.
An attempt should be made to have
the drill place the seed down one-half
to one inch, not deeper than one inch
I nor less than one-half inch. Before
, sowing, careful attention should lie
given the selection of tiie seed. Poor
j scaly, diseased seed is what is ruining
i the crop of flax, and destroying tiie
usefulness of the land for future flax
I purposes. Scaly and shrivelled seeds
■are mostly caused by the wilt and can
; ker diseases,and are usually suresigns
! of the presence of such diseases.
Clean all seed thoroughly so as to
remove all sticks, dirt, chaff and scaly
! seeds. Then treat the seed with for
inaldehyde. It is absoluteyi essential
'in raising flax to disinfect the seed, li
is not difficult to do, if the man who
does it is provided with a proper cone
pressed air sprayer so that he can
throw a fine misty spray upon tin
grain while it is being shovelled and
raked ove<fc Use 1 pound of formal
dehyde to each forty gallons of water
and approximately one-hall' gallon for
each bushel of dry clean seed. If the
grain is thoroughly shovelled and rak
ed while the spraying is being done
the grain will he found to be evenly
damp all over. If left piled from ore
to two hours it will be found fit to
pass through the drill without diffi
culty.
j Remember that uneven depths of
[ planting gives uneven ripening and
that a firm seed bed will allow you to
get an even depth of planting. A firm
seed bed helps to protect the roots of
the young plants from drouth and
disease.
Taylor's Livery
Feed and Sale Stables
First Class
Rigs
Careful
Drivers
Good Saddle
Horses
Dray Line in
Connection
Best Quality Hay and Grain For Sale
Wm. M.^Taylor, Prop. Roundup, Montana
LAND
ît«QMBMR9B
Everyone won!it like tit own a woo
fend hut in most localities wood
land is high in price and the ownership o !anu is confined to the rich. Not so in
Musselshell County, flood land is CUE
Get in on the ground floor and gel
t is certain not to remain so.
it i f the rise in the price of
Musselshell Countv land.
HOMESTEADS
There are a gn at m'any good Horn ! <;■ .. left in Musselshell County. Care
ful attention given to selecting Ilomest ads for s. filers. Locating Homesteads
has been my specialty for years. I kno the country thoroughly.
RELINQUISHMENTS
/ have a number of good relinqui hm-'nts for sale, some well improved, at
prices that will astonish you. Here are a few of the ones on my list s
160 acres, 9 miles from R. R., all plow land, no improvements, .00 per acre.
l6o acres, io miles from Roundup, all ienced, not a liner quarter section in
the country, price ^2.50 per acre.
Quarter section, 9 miles from Routt !:ip eood hou e. fenced on two sides.
Some timber, <3.00 per acre.
DEEDED LANDS
CHOICE WHEAT LANDS. In large and small tracts. Prices in compe
tition with those of R. R. lands of the same quality. Your own terms.
WRITE FOR DESCRIPTIVE BOOKLET — 'THE MUSSELSHELL
COUNTRY AT A GLANCECORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED.
W. A. McGINLEY
ROUNDUP, MONTANA