| OCR Text |
Show LARGE CROP OF FLAX 75,000 Bushels Raised on 2,500 Acres in Northwest. Saskatchewan Farmer Gives Hl Meth-ds Meth-ds of Securing Big Yield Ade-quau Ade-quau Power Is Given as One of First Esentlals. FVed Engen of Saskatoon. Saskatchewan, Sas-katchewan, who harvested 75,0(10 bu.h els of flax lout year from 2.&00 acres, writes Dry Farming of his methods, as follows: "We built a box eight feet by three, feet wide for each drill. In this we put four bushels of llax In the end We used two gallons of formaldehyde solution, according to the usual directions, to the four bushels. We used a kusoiuliilng pump sprayer to spray the solution on the ffcix. and with one man standing at the opposite oppo-site end of the seed box and sHnlng iJie flax setid as the solution was sprnyed on It over Into the empty spaco In the box. When the solution was thua sprayed on the flax we covered the box with a blanket for three-quarters of an hour; then we stirred the flax again, and aHer 10 or 20 minutes It was ready for the drill. This Is an easy method of treating flax, and I believe It la the most convenient. "The soil upon which 1 grew 7D.0OO bushels of flax Is a very heavy clay. The breaking was done In the fore summer, and the ground was properly disked and harrowed, and last spring we went over It with a double harrow har-row before we started seeding. Our Seed was grown at Zealandla and IV'llslo on new land, and wan very clean. WTe started seeding on April 24, and used 25 pounds to the acre. Our flax averaged 23 bushels to the acre. "My experience In farming has led nie to the conclusion that the general gen-eral Impression regarding our season's sea-son's shortness for the production of our small grain without injury by frost Is more or less an error charge able to the lack of power employed In farming operations. I wish to draw attention to the fact that 1 started to seed flax on April 24. If T had had four engines wlih five drills to .ach engine I would have been able to have had my four sections In lo Ave days, whereas It was May 2D when I finished seeding. When fall came the first flax sown was cut three weeks before the last sown, and therefore It Is manifest that If I had sown that acreage In five days I would have had fully three weeks advancement In the commencement of threshing. If one measures the working power employed with the acreage under cultivation one will find that It Is utterly Inadequate. If a man has only a yoke of cattle and farms an acreage accordingly he Is surely better off than covering a large amount of ground without any payable results. "It has been my experience that all the land which I have worked properly proper-ly and seeded quickly when tho spring has opened up has given not ordinary results, but abundant, and If we could only learn to farm half the quant II y. unless we have surplus power, our results would furnish no uch disappointments as they have done thlslast season In many cases. "I sowed flax two to three and a half Inch deep. Of course It might not apply on all soils, or In all seasons, sea-sons, but I shall take my chance of sowing deep and early, and sowing It as quickly as possible, and be abreast with the reason. "I passed my flax, which was shlppt from my own elevator, through a cleaner twice. If any more cleaning Is necessary the purchaser baa to do It himself. "As to breaking and seeding flax In (he spring: This In my opinion is a doubtful work, but If undertaken It should be four Inches deep, which will give It a fair depth to disk, but after the breaking one should use a heavy packer Immediately after the plow. If one has depth enough the seeders should follow the packer, and ther the barrow." |
