The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-09-07
Grasshonners in the Northwest.

A correspondent at Braiperd, Mimi,
writing in regard to the damage done by
the grasshoppers along the line of the
Northern Pacific railroad, says: In the
immediate vicinity of Wadena crops are
remarkably fine, having suffered no in
jury from either grasshoppers or eli
matte causes. Wheat will run over
twenty bushels to the acre, other crops
in proportion. The southern half of
Otter Tail county will give an average
of from ten to twelve bushels, about
half crop. Want of rain there in the
early part of the season damaged the
crops fully as much as the hoppers. The
northern part of the county will give
well up to from sixteen to eighteen
bushels of wheat to the acre. The
southeast corner of Becker county will
give full crop, the remainder of the
county from one-half to three-fourths
Some of the best informed men in tho
county are estimating the average loss
to the county at from fifteen to twenty
five per cent, leaving the county from
fifteen to seventeen bushels to the acre.
Clay county will lose but little; twenty
per cent. of an average crop is large
estimate of its loss. The Red river val
ley, in Dakota, will not lose an average
OF two bushels per acre, which from
fields that will range from twenty to
thirty bushels to the acre is no loss to
speak Of. AS rule, farmers are prone
to overestimate supposed damage to
crops from any cause. They generally
turn out better than expected, and l am
inclined to think it will be so this year.
L., ii
they cleared some fields entire, but this
is an exception; few only will not pay
to harvest. Oat and barley fields suffer
ed the most. Immediately on the line
of the road, the fields in tue vicinity OF
Lake Park were hurt the most, some few
small lots being completely taken, the
majority, however, having half a crop
yet left. Mr.. Garfield is the heaviest
loser, yet he will, without doubt, har
vest from 5000 to 5000 bushels, per.
haps more. 1 met him lately, and he is
not discouraged, but proposes 20 fght
it out, although admitting that the los!
is sell ious thing for him. Mr.. Engle
bronner will get half a crop from his
1,600 acres, that is, come Is, ,000 bushels
I Mr.. Won Vusepgen will also get from
1000 to 5000 bushels from his 70(
acres. Mr.. Tenney should realize fully
$4,000 bushels from the 1000 acres he
has in wheat; his losses, ii any, how
ever, will be more the result of lat,
sowing than from grasshoppers. From
the Cass and Cherry lands, Dalrympl'
will probably get from the 1880 acre
some $4,000 bushels, an average o
eighteen to the acre, his foreman put
ting it at twenty. Mosher, Dunlop
Morris, and others in that locality, vii
do equally as well. Richland county
particularly in it's southern part, loses
portion of its general average on &C
count of dry weather in the early sum
mer. There was no injury from th
grasshoppers. Trail county will Civ
its usual average, over twenty bushel
to the acre. Notwithstanding the visi
tation of the pests, Red river valley vii
sustain its reputation this year, and re
suits will enable us, by comparison witt
other localities, to keep our flags hyin
high over the whole Northern Pacifi
country. With all losses our surplu
crop will be greater by fully fifty pc
cent. than that of last year. On the lin
of the Southern Pacific and Pacific, an
from that road to the southern lire c
the State, the crops will be but abor
one-half of the general average. Wit
US it will run from eighty to eighty-fv
per cent.