The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-10-21
Illinois, Minnesota and Red River
Wheat Crops.

The Winona Democrat has a specimen of
White China wheat, raised by JOHN ERWIN,
of Fremont township, in that county. The
Democrat attributes to this grain an extra.
ordinary size, fullness, and largeness of the
yield. "Mr. E. sowed two bushels of this
wheat, from the producto of which he threshed
sixty-one and one-halt bushels" If there is
no chaff in that wheat, Mr.. E. would have
done public service by sending some SAM
piles to the recent State fair. The Democrat
asks if any man, or State. can beat that
yield. We do not know but we are quite
sure of one thng--that there is no State in
the Union in which wheat attains such
luxuriant harvest, and such perfection and
fulness of grain, as in the Red River valley.
CHARLES BoTTINEAU, who has recently
opened farm on the Pembina River, raised
this year fifty bushels of wheat to the acre.
Forty-fye bushels per acre is the ordinary
crop Of the Red River settlement. There is
comparison. This Red River grain weighs
uniformly from 60 to 20 pounds per bushel-
five and ten pounds more than the standard
weight--and is at the same time, perfectly
exempt from the smut and other diseases
which deteriorate the quality of wheat in
more southern ATTITUDES, an exemption in
which the grain crops of Minnesota share
to large extent.
A sample of Minnesota wheat weighing
65 pounds to the measured bushe, exhibited
at the recent agricultural fair at Minneapo-
lis, was considered superior.
In Illinois, we are told. the weight of
wheat seldom reaches 60 pounds per meas
ured bushel, and the average is much less
The soil and climate of Illinois has always
proved unfavorable to wheat. Spring wheat
is very uncertain crop there; and the
winter crop, if it barely escapes the alternate
freezings and thawings of the winter, has to
run a gauntlet of casualties-rust, the
weevil, the fy-before it reaches maturity.
The average crop of Illinois is, consequently,
only about from ten to fifteen bushels per
acre, of a very light and inferior grain, of
which large proportion is scarcely pre-
sentable in market in any classification of
grades.
In Minnesota the average crop is from
twenty to forty-fve bushels per acre, with
weight of from sixty to sixty-fve pounds.
A bushe of ordinary Minnesota wheat is
therefore worth to the Chicago dealer at
least ten per cent. more than bushel of
average Illinois wheat, while an acre of
Minnesota wheat would be worth in Chica-
90 twice and three times as much as an acre
of Illinois production-and it costs no more
to raise wheat in Minnesota than in Illinois.
The only disadvantage which the Minnesota
farmer labors under is the greater cost of
transportation very serious item indeed,
especially for farmers living at distance
from the great navigable water courses.
But if any one will take the trouble to
apply little arithmetic to the respective
values of wheat crop in Illinois and in Min
nesota, he will find, at least when the latter
has not to be hauled by team too far for
shipment, that the actual proceeds of the
Minnesota crop do not fall below the stand
ard of Illinois.
Upon the same principle it is easy to be
seen that with the opening of railroad com.
munications with the Red River Valley, the
old Scotch farmers up there could compete
with Minnesota, and ride right over Illinois
and Wisconsin.