The Portland daily press., 1869-06-22
'es.nas $500 per ammu,,s, in adramce.


author means to communicate that Min
nesota Averages four and three quarters
bushels more than the best knoaon yieIds of
those other States, producing the greatest
number of bushels per acre of any States
east OF the Rocky Mountains, Minnesota of
course excepted and that her yield in a very
poor year was fifteen bushels more per acre
than her nearest neighbor upon the South,
and more than double of the "rich praresv of
Illinois, while her average-one year with an
other-is eleven and one third bushels more
than the average Of the next best three wheat
producing States, or more than double of
those States! Oar official author compla-
Gently adds to his array of figures: "In the
face of these facts, we have no hesitancy in
pronouncing Minnesota the banner wheat
State of the Union. Spring wheat is princi-
pally sowD, but winter wheat does equally
well, believe"
PRESUMPTION.
may appear like presumption in your
correspondent to deny or call in question
statements OF fact AMI official figures put
forth under the auspices and direct sanction
of the legislature of sovereign State" but
nevertheless Il take the responsibility" of
such an audacious act and when your read
ers become posted as to the manner in which
this statistic business is performed, and how
the facts are compiled, as l propose they
shall be at an early day, venture the asser-
tion that the apparent presumption OF any
act viii appear very much dmished.
WINTER WHEAT.
In the first place, winter wheat is not
raised IN this State, and all attempts to raise
it have resulted in failure. / am told by old
residents that in the somewhat ambiguous
country denominated the "big woods" fall
sown or winter wheat may be profitably cnl-
tivated, and for aught l know such may be
the fact, but the amount of wheat of any
kind grown in the timber region is very linn
tied. Winter wheat is not sown in the State
of this speak with the utmost confidence.
The advantages of winter wheat, where it
can be successfully cultivated, are twofold;
first, the quality is better than of spring
wheat, and of course the market value is
greater; and second, by being sown in the
fall it relieves the pressure of the farmers
spring work, when at best, he is obliged to
crowd into short season more pressing
work than it is always convenient to perform.
But this is relief the Minnesota farmer can
not enjoy. Winter OF fall-sown wheat is
crown in Iowa, Southern Wisconsin and
states further south, and it ripens and may
ordinarily be out and stacked in the field be-
fore the Minnesota wheat fields are "white
and ready for the harvest"
a-. sai THE OTHER SIDE.
But 1 come to consider briefly the more inn
;portant question of average yield, and ex-
pense of cultivation. And upon this point
remark that twenty-five bushels per acre is
probably too large by half dozen bushels at
least, for the average yield of the State.
The proper source to go for the nearest ap-
Proclamation to facts in gathering statistics on
this point, is doubtless the Agricultural Bu-
reau at Washington. Though the figures OBJ
ltained through that channel may not be en-
tirely correct, they approach correctness and
show partiality for no particular section,
while the figures from which have quoted,
beyond all question place Minnesota in the
most favorable, as they do other states in
the most unfavorable light. For 1867 saw
the figures from the Agricultural Bureau,
published in one of our local papers, and
while do not have them before me, and am
Obliged to quote from memory, 1 distinctly
recollect that Minnesota was Is, bushels per
acre, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa about
the same, while in Connecticut the yield was
16 bushels per acre, and IN Massachusetts and
Vermont about one bushel less. Ohio was
about 10, and Indiana and nlinois-great
corn states-were not over bushels.
" NEW ENGLAND AHEAD.
The three states having the largest average
were three of the New England states-a fact
which few people East have been aware
Tho -AlbAaJ Country Gentleman, within the
past few months, published figures which
demonstrated that the average yield of your
State is only two bushels and Q small fraction
less than Wisconsin, one of the best wheat
states in the Union. sIaH.,.
DETERIORATION OF WHEAT FIELDS.
San Francisco papers have recently stated
that fields in that State which few years
since averaged 40 bushels per acre, have de-
clined to less than 20, and the indications are
that they viii soon yield not more than 10 or
~. The agricultural papers state that SINH
lar decline has beon observed in Wisconsin,
where the practice prevails of burning the
straw in heaps upon the field instead of con-
verting it into manure, and the farmers are
admonished that their productive soils, deep
and rich as they have heretofore regarded
them, must be fed with suitable fertilizers, or
they cease to yield remunerative crops
Throughout the West manure is generally
voted and treated as nuisance, and the soil,
Through its generally decreasing products, is
protesting against the outrage. But of this
matter as well as the question of farming
profits, ! will say something at another time.
f. OBSERVER.