OTHER FARM CROPS 571 



growth in the cool autumn days. In North Dakota, if the late crop is 

 not caught by early frosts, the yield is apt to be even greater than that 

 from the early sown crop, which at times may be compelled to ripen 

 too rapidly by the action of heat in August. The early crop also 

 seems to be more often injured by rust. However, the date of seed- 

 ing in North Dakota can not be much earlier than May 20 or later 

 than June 20 without loss from frost. 



Seeding Methods. They are as various as the people who grow 

 the crop. The larger areas of the Netherlands and Belgium are 

 seeded with ordinary grain drills, and such machinery is also used 

 upon the largest estates in Russia where the crop is grown for oil 

 production. Small areas in all countries are seeded by hand broad- 

 cast and harrowed in. Many fiber growers contend that this method 

 gives best results. Russian peasants broadcast by hand almost exclu- 

 sively. If evenly cast it is supposed that all straws are shaded alike, 

 and therefore mature evenly as to fiber. The chief merits of any 

 method of seeding must depend upon three points : The seed should 

 be imbedded at an even depth, not too deeply, and should be evenly 

 distributed. The brush harrow, as commonly made by American 

 farmers, gives good results when properly handled, but no scheme of 

 broadcast seeding can give the regularity of depth that yields best 

 results with this crop. (F. B. 274.) 



Treatment of the Seed. Diseases, such as flax wilt, which affect 

 the roots of the crop may be carried by the seed. Therefore, the seed 

 should be treated with formaldehyde prior .to seeding, in order to 

 kill all germs of this disease. The ordinary methods used for grain 

 are not applicable for flax. A treating solution should be made by 

 using 1 pound (16 ounces) of 40 per cent formaldehyde in 40 

 gallons of water. The solution should always be made up fresh. 

 One-half gallon of this solution is sufficient for one bushel of seed. 

 Forty gallons will treat about 100 bushels. One ounce of formalde- 

 hyde in 2 1 /2 gallons of water will make a solution of the same 

 strength. 



After the seed has been thoroughly cleaned, one method is to 

 pile it on a tight floor or canvas. About five bushels makes a con- 

 venient pile. Sprinkle the pile with the thoroughly mixed formalde- 

 hyde solution, using a common garden watering pot or some form of 

 spray pump. Shovel the pile over as concrete is mixed. Sprinkle 

 and shovel, sprinkle and shovel, until the entire outside of all the seed 

 is moistened, using up at least % gallons of the solution for each 

 bushel of flax seed. Cover the pile with old blankets or gunny sacks 

 and allow to stand for at least two hours. Then, unless planting is 

 done at once, the seed should be spread out to dry, to prevent heating. 

 The treatment will kill all disease spores adhering to the seed. 

 (Colo. E. S. Cir. April, 1911.) 



Harvesting for Seed. The crop is best harvested with the self 

 binder. The bundles should be set in small loose shocks to permit 

 of thorough drying. Just as soon as it can be safely done, the crop 

 should be thrashed, in order to get the highest quality of seed for 

 market. Flax is sometimes cut with the self -rake or with the binder 



