Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1891-09-03
A Farmers Opinion.

One of the large farmers of the Red
river valley writes a sensible paper to the
Fargo Argus on matters of present farm
interest. He says:
WHEArLAND, N. D.,-The public
are interested to know the
value of smudges in prevent
ing frost. Hundreds Of fires were burn
ing last Saturday night around Wheat
land without any apparent effect. The
frost seems to have been harder in the
vicinity where the most fires we're built.
In my view, the fires did no good, except
by the heat produced.
As to the damage caused by the late
frost, men differ. Some wheat nearly
ripe seems injured SO as 10 fall down, and
the heads break off. Very green wheat
generally seems uninjured. There Ger.
tainly can be no injury where the appear
ance Of the standing grain is unchanged.
Near this town corn, potatoes and tender
vegetables are badly hurt, but the grain
seems about the same as before.
Threshing now done shows that the
hot weather has shrunk the wheat, so
No. northern is as good grade as we
shall generally get this year. While the
frost may be found to have injured un.
cut grain still more. Fully two-thirds of
the gram was standing when the frost
came.
1t will be in order now for buyers and
shippers of grain to beat the farmers as
far as possible on grades and this is one
of the years when expert inspectors are
needed.
have never been able to see any good
holy 1ov o1n
vators and the inspection of grain, which
ing to enforce, and do not believe in its
expediency at this time, but if as report
ed they have found elevators at Superior
where our inspection will be recognized,
some good may come OF it. Good will
come of it ultimately, if the elevators re-
fuse to store wheat and the farmers
thereby be compelled to build granaries
and store their own wheat. 1t was un-
fortunate for the farmers that Governor
Burke should have vetoed the bennett
bill which authorized any one for nom
inal rent to build warehouses for their
own use upon the siaetracks of railroads
in the state. This law, if enacted, would
take away some of the monopolistic
privileges of the elevators, but would not
injure the railroads, as they would get
the carrying Of the grain the same as
now.
Any law or absence of law on the sub
ject does not materially affect the inter-
ests of the people in this vicinity, for
with two competing transportation COM
panies we have the best facilities gong
for shipment, and a majority of our peo.
pie ship their grain themselves. and such
men would like to know how grain will
be inspected when the farmers load the
cars and the railroad companies seal
them up and forward at once. The best
thing the inspectors can do is to stand
on the bridge and see the wheat cars
cross the Red river.
I have grown wheat for thirty-fye
years in Minnesota and Dakota, and
have found the best condition of things
to exist for wheat farmers where they
put the grain into their own buildings
in quantities and hold it there until the
buyers come and buy from the farmer S
own granary. Our wheat so held will
not be wheat Sin sight" and be used to
depress the market.
When our farmers are in condition to
carry wheat over to another year If the
price don't suit them, and sell their
wheat upon their farms, then the matter
of restrictions on elevator charges and
rules for inspection will not trouble
them. J. W. BURNHAM.