The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-01-15
THE NATIONAL COLONY.


EDITOR ADVANCES: having been
East Oh business, and visiting for the
past four months, would like through
your paper to give your readers my OBJ
servations during that time.
When l left here the first of Sep
TENDER l must confess that felt a lit
tie discouraged on account of our
:grasshopper raids for the past two years,
but when it came to my knowledge that
III MANY parts Of the country they had
suffered 50 much more than we had,
*c:allle to the conclusion that we ought
to rejoice and be glad that our troubles
are no worse than they are. find that
III the grasslopper districts, in other
localities, they had fully as many, and
l.think more, Of the hopper tribe than
we had, and in addition to them they
had the chinch bug and extreme drOutl
l found that some of our older States
met with greater losses from other
causes than we did in this State from
grasslltppers. For instance, the States
vi Michigan and Ohio lost more the
past year Oh account Of late spring and
droutl than we did 10y the 'hoppers ;
and the State of New York, on account
of not having any snow last winter
their wheat crop did not amount to
much. OF course, all who have had any
experience III growing winter wheat
know that if you don't have snow to
cover it in winter, it Winter-kills. That
was the case with them in York State
last year, and following that they had Il
great drouth through the entire sum-
mer. Several Of tie farmers I talked
with told me they shoull have Il pretty
hard time III getting their stock through
the winter. They will he compelled to
keep them Oh straw and cornstalks, for
with hay at $35 per ton they would soon
eat themselves up. The farmers in
Western New York told me that had it
not been for the fruit crop they did not
know how they should have raised
money enough to pay their taxes and
other liabilities hey were getting
only 10 cents more per bushel for their
winter wheat (yroun on lond r.l,<ed at
$125 per acre) than our No. l wheat
was selling for. I have become fully
satisfied from inquiries have made of
different individuals that have had ex-
lerjence with the grassllOpper that we
shall not lie troubled with them this
coming season. have yet to learn
where they have visited the same local
lty the third year i'll succession.
My advice to the farmers in this To-
cality is to put OH all the stock they cal,
afford to. Even it they hire the money
l think they will make money il tile
end: stock pays we'll in the Eastern
States, where it costs more than double
10 RAISE and keep it than it does here,
We expect to have cheese factory in
operation here early in the spring, and
shall want to buy all the milk the farm.
ers have to spare. There is one thing
sure, the choppers can't eat the COWS,
and they econ't eat the prairie grass. ]
would not advise dropping grain rails.
ing altogether by those who 60 into
stuck. | think the stock raiser should
grow enough grain for his bread and to
feed his stock, and market it in the
form of beef, pork. mutton, etc. It is
now i we'll settled fact that tile wheat
and flour of our State IS taking the lead
and being sought after in all Eastern
markets. The fancy st. Louis brands
Of flour have taken the lead in the
Eastern market for several years, but
now our Minnesota flour is leading
them from one to two dollars l,er bar.
rel. consequently if part of our farmers
will go into stock and not depend So
much on wheat, there will lie Il great
deal less wheat raised. which will have
a tendency to keep up the price fnr
those who do raise it, and will be better
1ear.1afAneDlped.