Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-09
SPRING WHEAT.

Acreage Throughout the New Northwest
Decreased Acreage in the Old Northwest
Balanced by a Large Increase in Winter
Wheat Acreage-Spring Prospects AL
| Favorable.
The Chicago Times of Saturday morning
spring wheat sections of the Northwest,
which reports it summarizes as follows:
So far as a generalization is practicable al
this early season, and from several hundred
reports, the situation of affairs is satisfactory.
Indeed, it may be said to be highly encourag-
ing, for the best reports come from the local.
and for the most part the least encouraging
reports are from sections where winter wheat
has been found the more profitable. In Min
| nesota, Nebraska, and Dakota, which are al
| most wholly given up to spring wheat, there
is a largely-increased acreage and the prospect
is thoroughly good. In Minnesota, which
| raised over forty millions bushels Of wheat
last year, the reports are uniformly of the most
flattering character. In some of the newer
counties the acreage has doubled, and the
| average increase ifor the state is 20 to rs per
cent. At the same time the condition is usual.
ly stated to have never been better and
sometimes to have never been so good, and the
prospect for an increased yield per acre is
good. From Nebraska, which produced about
one-fourth as much wheat last year as Mime
sofa, but whose prairles are rapidly
being broken up by the great
army OF emigrants who are constantly pour
ing INTO the State, the reports are very similar;
The acreage is increased and the planting has
been accomplished under the most favorable
conditions. The farmers take cheerful view
of things, and the probabilities are in favor OF
an exceptionally large harvest. In Dakota,
also, the area devoted to spring wheat is much
increased, and the indications are all favorable
for generous yield.
From Kansas the reports are not quite so
favorable as to the quality, though the pros
age is reduced. This, however, is mainly due
to the fact that winter wheat is in that State
supplanting the spring sowing In Missouri,
also, the fall sowing prevails. Not more than
tenth of the wheat raised there this year
will be spring sown. The condition of the
spring grain is not altogether satisfactory land
in some localities it is poor, but this is not
true of all. and the small amount of spring
wheat raised makes its quality of subordinate
importance.
In Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa the condi-
ton of the spring wheat ranges all the way
from good to very poor. The acreage in gen
eral is much reduced. It is to be noted, how
ever, that in some portions of Northern Hi
nois the prospects are good, and that in the
central and southern parts of the State winter
wheat is rapidly crowding out spring wheat,
where it has not already done it. Where the
acreage of spring wheat is largely reduced it
is generally because farmers have found that
fall is better than spring sowing. In Iowa
there is a substantial reduction in the acreage
of spring wheat in almost every county. But
In the vicinity Of Storm Lake the increased
acreage amounts to 20 per cent. and the con-
dition was never better. Around Grinnell and
Fort Dodge the condition is good, and
from Burlington it is reported fair. In
several other parts of the State the pros
poets of the spring wheat-what there is of
it-are good. In Wisconsin, the condition of
the crop is rarely good, though that is the
case about Madison, Sturgeon Bay, Sparta
Stevens Point, and Menasha. Throughout,
the State there has been considerable dim
mutton in the spring wheat acreage, the re-
suit in some localities of preference for
winter wheat.
Taking the northwest as a whole, there
fore, the prospect for spriHg wheat in Mime
sofa, Nebraska and Dakota, where spring
wheat is almost exclusively raised, are all
that could be desired, In Kansas and Illirois
the spring. wheat forms but small part Of
the total crop. In Wisconsin and Iowa the
decreased acreage of spring wheat is caused
in greater or less degree by the preference
of the farmers for the winter grain, and this,
| 1t should be remembered, is from 68 to 70 per
cent. of the total wheat crop of the Z nited
States. $50