Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1896-05-14
LESS WHEAT.
Continued Rains and Spring
Flowing Greatly Reduces
Wheat Acreage.
Seeding Only Begun in Lower
Red River Valley-Land
Under Water.

Red River Valley-Land
Under Water.
Damage reports from the southwest.
referring mainly to destruction by bugs
and hot winds in Kansas and Oklahoma,
together with rains and late seeding In
the northwest, sent wheat up 20 in Du-
luth Thursday. Friday the market open
ed 1ac higher, and after whipsawing
during the session closed at 64c-down
a cent. A year age the advance in
wheat that led up to the SOC swell began
by au up turn of over &c. The condi-
ton in the two Dakotas and Minnesota
was regarded by the bulls as unfavor-
Rble-too wet for the seed sown and too
wet to SOW more. The forcing weather,
10 their opinion, is not giving wheat
chance to stool we'll, 80 that, from every
standpoint, the situation is not promis.
ing.
The Alert has it from reliable author.
ity that in Traill county only about 30
per cent of the crop is in the ground and
this in one of the most favorably con-
dltioned localities IN the Red river val
Icy. The farmers suc ceeded in prepar-
ing most Of the ground for seed, so that
less piowlng remained to be done this
spring than in most Of the adjoining
counties. Nevertheless, they have been
able to do but little seeding, rains have
packed the soil 90 that it is necessary to
use cultivators or dlsc harrows to loosen
the soil to let the drills down q
sufRcient depth to insure the covering OF
the seed. The rains have been go fre-
quent that at no time has the soil been
dry enough to work we'll and what little
has been accomplished has been under
difficulty. The work of seeding occu-
pies more time and labor than usual.
p. Herbrsndson, county commissioner
in Trail county, writes the Minneapolis
Journal from Caledonia, May 5: II do
not believe there will be more than one
half of wheat seeded in Trail county
this year. There is not 10 per cent
seeded yet, and there has been rain
almost every day for long time. There
are many places where farmers cannot
get on the 6elds to work for the next
two weeks il we don't get any more rain.
There was about 30 per cent OF plowinR
left last fall IN the valley, that cannot be
plowed this spring."
In the northern part Of the Red River
valley the situation ls even more serious
whore seeding has only begun. Usually
: this date, or by the 10th, the last OF
.Ae wheat is going into the ground.
Much Of the land is reported under
water and the outlook discouraging. In
tho lower Red River valley some Of the
heaviest rains noted in years have fallen
and the ground is thoroughly saturated
and most Of the low lands 20 covered
with water that it will be some time yet
before any work can be done on them,
even With tho most favorable weather.
At Melville ope Of the heaviest down
pours Of the season occurred Monday
night and, beside delaying work, hes
filled up the low places in the fields %
that they cannot be seeded for some
time to como. About half the wheat is
seeded on tho Darlington and Casey
farms.
The shrinkags OF the wheat acreage
IN tho state 10 placed at about 80 per
cent BY those who are converssnt With
the conditions in the different localities.
Senator Casey expressed the opinion
that il the present weather conditions
continue much longer No. hard d.
kots wheat 10 very likely to command Q
premium Of loo bushel next fall.
Many eastern mills have put in
machinery expressly for grinding our
wheat and have to have it for mixing
Minneapolis and Duluth will fight for the
crop Of course There was one time IN
the early history Of the state when North
Dakota hard wheat did command this
premium in Duluth, and the Northern
Pacific road used that argument in it's
immigration documents.
A ride over the prairie shows lakes Of
water standing on the fields in every low
place Some farmers state they have
not seen 80 much standing water at this
season OF the year IN all their residence
in the state-l5 or is years Beside
greatly delaying farm work the ponds
divide the land into irregular pieces
difficult to work.
Grass ls coming on rapidly and soon
will afford good pasturaRe.
Seeding Greatly Delayed.
The weather conditions of the past
week have, like the preceding week,
been very unfavorable for seeding, owing