Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-09-03
Seven Desr .. neIow Freezing.

Seven Degr 90 helow Freezing.
The reports which come from the
North Dakota wheat fields are OF dis
couraging character
At Cooperstown, Griggs County, there
was heavy freeze ice forming quar-
ter OF an inch thick. Late grain Is
cooked, and wheat in shock and In
process Of cutting Is damaged. The
thermometer reached tho freezing point
at midnight, and at 10 in the morning
stood at 25 degrees. Farmers generally
had placed st aw on the north side OF
the fields, and most everybody sat up all
night and tended their smudges, but it
was OF no use, for what H. tie. breeze
there was came from the south and car
ried the smoke In the wrong direction.
About 25 per cent. OF the grain is in
shock. The Thermometers ran down to
2S at several points in Ramsey County,
and Ice was found on the heads Of wheat
in many fields. Smudge fires were not
started until late in the night, and 1t Is
feared they did little good.
About so per cent. OF the grain is cut
in that region.
Villages along the northern border re-
port that the. temperature was In places
not much above 90. IL was 2s at Penn
UlHd H. ~ db hOl u, 80 az NuHuO, anu OO du
st. John. 1t was cloudy, however, at
the last two points named.
Manitoba reports are black. Every
point in the province shows that the tenn
perature was from % to %.
The wheat there is still in the milk,
and large percentage of it will be a
total loss. Oliver Dallymple, North Da-
kota's great wheat-grower, said, on
thu condition nf fhn that
he estimated the frost had destroy ed
about one seventh OF the entire wheat
and cats crop In the Red KIver Valley
from Fargo to the British possessions.
The last freeze would, OF course, re-
duce the figures, and he feared one
sixth of the crop would be de-
stroyed. On the night of the first frost
one-half OF the wheat acreage had been
untouched by the harvester. He says
that all the wheat uncut at that time
has had what Is called "brand" frost
This wheat will be equally as good for
milling purposes as No ! hard, but the
farmers will receive grade lower. In
explaining the action OF the frost on the
uncut wheat he said the amont of dam
age would altogether depend on the con-
dition OF the wheat berry at the time OF
the frost The wheat standing which
had turned to dough but had not ripened
would not be materially injured by this
severe frost. 1t would only result In
corruyating the surface of the grain,
which would destroy its brightness and
cause 1t to lose a grade. The wheat In
the milk would be an entire loss when
ever there was frost below 80 degrees.
The straw would turn to yellow, and
might deeeivc eVen.t the most experienced
farmer, but the grain would never pass
out OF its milk state
A Duluth dispatch says: Board OF
Trade men received reports from North
Dakota that frost seriously injured
late sown wheat throughout the State,
while letters about the prior frost
indicate that more damage was done
than had previously teen estimated.
A Church's Ferry, n. d., report says:
The thermometer registered 2s. Ice was
found on the heads of wheat I'm many
fields. Farmers tried smudge fires to a
large extent, but some think they did
not commence soon enough, some OF
them waiting til almost freezing point
before starting the fires. About so per
cent OF the grain is cut, and half Of the
balance is ripe. There is no frost al
Cando or St John, but it was heavy al
Rolla
AT ST. Vincent, n. D., 1t was 80 de-
grees, the same as the former cold snap,
but there was apparentlV n much heavier
harvested.
At Pembna, n. d., it was four de-
grees below freezing.
All over Manitoba the damage Is form
idable The thermometer was from two
to five degrees below freezing all over
the province. A great quantity Of the
wheat is still green.