246 FIELD CROPS 



sod over. It may be cut up with the disk harrow in the 

 spring if the breaking was done the preceding summer or 

 fall, setting the disks quite straight to avoid turning up the 

 unrotted turf. The use of the roller or some other imple- 

 ment for packing the soil is advisable on newly-plowed land. 

 The seed is sometimes sown on new breaking with little or 

 no preparation, but the increased yields which are obtained 

 where a good seed bed has been prepared usually pay for the 

 extra work. On old land, deep plowing and thorough prep- 

 aration are necessary in order to get the best results. A 

 firm, well-packed seed bed is more essential to success with 

 flax than with almost any other crop. 



303. Preparing the Seed for Sowing. Thorough clean- 

 ing and grading of the seed are necessary to obtain the best 

 yields. All light seed, straw, dirt, and weed seed should be 

 removed by running the grain through the fanning mill 

 several times. By grading, seeds of uniform size and weight 

 are obtained, all of which contain practically the same quan- 

 tity of food material for the young plants. If proper care 

 is taken in sowing to cover the seed to a uniform depth, the 

 growth of the crop throughout the season is uniform, and 

 it all ripens at the same time, an important consideration. 

 After the seed has been cleaned and graded, it should be 

 treated with the formaldehyde solution recommended for 

 wheat smut (Sec. 205). This destroys any spores of the flax 

 wilt fungus which may adhere to the seed, and seems also 

 to be of actual benefit to the early growth of the plants. 

 The best method of treatment is to sprinkle the solution on 

 a pile containing from 5 to 10 bushels of seed, shoveling it 

 over so that it is all reached by the fungicide. About one- 

 half gallon of the solution is needed for each bushel of seed. 

 After all the seed is moistened, cover the pile with a canvas 

 or blanket for a couple of hours and shovel the seed over 



