The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1885-11-27
Dakota Crops for 1885.

StatlStlClan BayncS OF AleXandrla,
makes n valuable showing: There were
at least two counties that in the census
year Q87W did not raise bushcl of wheat
that in 1885 produced 100000 bushels
each. The development has been SO rap
id that the most radical estimates did not
kceppac with it. The writer's estimates
OF the yield of wheat for 1884 per acres
was 16.2 bushels; whereas the yield as
shown by the census taken this year. and
is official, is III bushelspe acres, which
covering SO large scope of territory,
greater than Indiana and Illinois, with a
crop that varied from two to forty two
bushels per acre, to say the least. was as
close as could be expected under the cir
cumstances. The guess that was wide of
the mark was in the acreage. We made
it ], ,615, 200 acres, while the census figures
arc 2,22S, 102 acres. We made the yield
of 1884, 26. 1866. o40 bushels. The United
States agricultural department cut it
down to 29, 230, 900 bushels, whereas the
census puts it ut 3S, 1865, 413 bushels. This
ia IL. 00O,0O greater than given by our
report and over 10 000, 900 more than the
department officials report, in which the
total yield for the Unltcd States is given
at 511 ,763 900 bushels. 1t increases the
total yield OF 1854 to 52S,6OO.313 bushels.
These extra $4,000, 900 bushels account in
part for the large visible supply that re-
fused to go down duling last spring and
summer We now have the crop of 1884,
as determined by the census, to figure out
the crop of 1885. Had it not been for
the European war news tEat gave boom
to prices just prior to seeding, allied with
the sweeping reports of damage to crops
throughout the winter wheat section, there
would haYe been o decrease in acreage for
1Ss5Irom that Of The preceding year, but
these conditions were
a PROMISING OUTLOOK
for the mark eting Of the next crop and
spurred up farmers to send more than
they. otherwise would have done. The
price at which the crop of 1884 was mar
keted was dlscouraging to wheat produc-
crs and much of the land in the large
wheat belt was not Flowed during the
fall. In the south and central portion of
the territory many acres that would have
been sown with wheat with good prices
prevailing, were seeded with flax. With
q careful survey of the fell we are of the
opinion that the land broken up in 1884
and sown TO crop for the first time in 1885,
will about Offset the decrease of acreage
ffrosRah 0aaseaAssfexo- -,mcpti ioned.p Rhe
acreage Of 1885 is therefore equal to that
of 1884. The yield shows nearly as great
a range as the crop of 1881. There Were
some localities OF drought, others of wide
reaching hail storms, while the prevail
Especially hot weather during the mid
die stage also worked injury all over thu
territory. We believe that the harvc!
also ended with an average yield cf IL?
bushels per acres. Loss beforcsthreshin!
from rains and prairie fires, the latter he
ing more disastrous than eyer known be
fore amounted to represent over ,2S2, 90
bushels, when being deducted woni,
make the remaining crop for 1Ss4-S1,
0l5,1 1873 bushels, This shows nearly pe5
000,O0 of wheat produced by Dakota il
1884 and 1885 more than was figured il
any calculations by statlsticians or In tn
official report of the department Of sg,'
culture at Washington. 1t places Dalot
in the front rank of the great wheat Pre-
ducing states.