St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-13
THE WHEAT OUTLOOK.
A Brief Summary of the PROSPECTS, of
Winter Wheat in the Leading
Wheat States.
The Acreage Believed to be About 10
Per Cent. Below That of Last
Season.
Considerable Loss From Winter-KiII-
Ing Due, to Protracted Absence
of Snow.
Indications Fair for an Average Crop,
But No Hope for an Excess
i've Yield.
From the yy,n,er.who., r,o,,

FrGn the yYinter-Wbeaf EiaIds
Special to the Globe.
CHICAGO, March IA summary of ths
Times winter wheat brings out these facts.
One-thIrd of the crop was sown late. owing
10 1ear OF hessian fly. This proportion Of
tue crop has suffered more or less from
winter killing during the last thirty DAYS.
| Inc acreage of 1856 is from to 10 per
cent. below the acreage of 1885. This re-
duction was caused by the scarcity and
high price of good seed wheat at seeding
tIine. and also the general discouraging out
look 1t for the wheat grower. The states of
Illinois, Kansas and Missouri show
the largest decrease in acreage. The
acreage OF Indiana, Ohio aud Michigan is
practically the same as the acreage of the
preceding year. Kentucky and Tennessee
snow reduction Of about per cent. The
wheat which has been protected during the
Whole winter by snow is confined only to
! LIMITED AREAS
IN different states and at no time since the
| winter wheat crop was sown in 1885 has
the winter wheat belt as a whole been pro-
tected for period of time over twenty
| days. On the whole the weather for Feb
ruary was trying upon the wheat
| crop, and the month of March I'D
improvement. North of the Ohio river the
winter wheat has made scarcely any growth
as yet, and the crop is backward As a
class farmers are inclined to hold the re-
| serves or wheat only where crop prospects
are not encouraging. The 1885 crop has
been pretty well cleaned up, but there seems
| still to be considerable of the 1884 wheat Oh
hand. The conclusions arrived at are sIIb-
stantlally these: Prospects are fair for an
average crop with favorable weather during
the next thirty days, but no indications of
a 1ull or excessive crop. The most encOur-
aging outlook for wheat comes from the Pa
citic slope. The condition and acreage are
found to be as follows
BY STATES:
1llinois-The reports cover Central and
! southern Illinois, where practically the en-
| tire winter wheat crop of the state Is grown.
| The decrease in acreage for that area is 10 per
| cent. less than the area sown in 1885. The
reports average fair. with more or less dam
| age to late sowu wheat in exposed places.
The most trying weather so far on the crop
has been the month of March. Wheat has
made but little growth.
kansas-There is no uniformity whatever
! IN the reports in the state. n many portions
OF Kansas wheat is badly damaged now
| caused by poor seed. late seeding, hessian fly
| and the trying weather in February and
March. a very conservative estimate for the
| SOe'A AoOO uIldCI CAlSllu8 WOQlQ Do
20 per cent. of an average crop. The acre
| age is decreased per cent.
| M1ssouri-As whole, winter wheat was
generally sown late. There is some fly in
early sown, especially on stubbie ground.
The last fourteen days of February were yerY
severe on wheat and thinned it out in many
exposed fields. The first week in March the
ground was covered with snow, which was
favorable. Missouri ought to produce. putting
the questson of acreage aside, an average
ha in ocrn
is per cent.
Michigan-No state in the winter wheat
belt at the present time seems to be so much
of color as Michigan. For the last three
weeks the weather has been very trying and
damaging to the crop. The general condi-
tons are not favorable by any means to-day
for full crop. The wheat was sown late,
made small growth before winter, and was
infected in the fall more or less by the Hes
sian fly The acreage is the same as that Of
1885.
Ohio-Considering the open winter. the
thawing and freezing weather in March, and
the absence of snow, wheat has come through
the winter fairly well-better than last win
than an average crop. The acreage Is the
same as that sown in 1885.
Tennessee and Kentucky-The wheat crop
of these two states is ust beginning TO green
up. They have come through the winter re-
markably well. The snowfall has been of q
greater depth south of the Ohio river than
: north of it. The decrease in acreage for
: Kentucky is per cent. and for Tennessee IL.
California-From reports from nearly
every county in the state the present pros
pect is as good as ever known. A portion of
the early-sown will probably lodge, owing to
; its rank growth, but the present prospects
are that the yield will be 20 per cent. more
than the former season. The prospect for a
heavy yield in the southern portion of the
state is better. as compared with the north
ern portion. The seeding has just ended,
and the ground is moist and warm, having
been refreshed by general showers.
Orcgon-February has been n very propi-
tious month for seeding. The winter has
been very favorable to the crop There is q
{ good stand Farmers feel almost assured OF
an excellent yield at harvest. Spring seed
, ing is being pushed rapidly, and more spring
wheat will be sown than last season.
Washington TerritOry-A similar situation
exists in Washington territory. The
Z prospects for winter wheat are very fine.
The crop of 1856 for Eastern Oregon and
Washington territory is estimated at IA, 000.-
coo bushels. The demand for barley beiLg sc
great the acreage has been largely increased
! the present season.