Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1896-03-26
OUR STATE all RIGHT.
Way Ahead of Washington,
Oregon and California
For Farming.
A Comparison Of the Cost and
Profits Of Wheat
Raising.
California Fruit Growers HaV-
ing q Hard Tlme.-Our
Land Best.

0ou1N OooSs
Editor Alert: In the way { encourag-
ment to Stutsman county farmers
permit me to say few words in
reference to the country which l have
seen since leaving jamestown last
December.
It seems to be natural for most of US,
as we struggle with the disadvantages
that are lying Immediately at our door,
to feel that the other fellow, somewhere
else, has little the best of it, and that
we made mistake in not locating where
he is. In travelling this winter, 1 have
had in mind, all the time, comparison
of the country through which I have
passed with the state of North Dakota,
and it certainly is true that l have seen
no large section Of country that is better,
in my Judgment, for man who desires
to make his living by tilllng the soil,
than our own state.
Probably the best section of farming
lands in the states of Montana, Wash
ingtop, Oregon and California that can
at all be compared with the land IN
North Dakota is south eastern Washing
ton and north eastern Oregon. Not
more than IL to Is per cent of the land
in the states of Washington and Oregon
is susceptible OF cultivation. This arabic
land ls found IN the portion of the states
above referred to. (aslde from the small
amount in the valleys Of both the east
ern and western part Of the states) the
remainder of both states is too mountain
GUS for cultivation, and, If it were
level, the soil ls too largely composed Of
sand to give it any value for farming
purposes. Now this being selected as
the best section of farming lands in the
country west Of North Dakota, let us
compare it with this state.
In the first place the chief product of
the two sections under comparison is
wheat. Other articles are produced
with some profit in North Dakota,
Washington and Oregon, but the crop
mainly relied on is the same. From in
formation gathered I believe that the
yield Of wheat in Washington and Ore
gon AS reported to us from time to time
is fictitious The wheat is sown about
the same time as ours and therefore
needs rain in the months of May, June
and July. L give below the ram fall for
1895 as observed at the Weathe. Bureau
stations in southeastern Washington
and also the rain fall as reported at Bis
marck North Dakota, for the above
months.
Colfax Rosalie Walla Walla Bismarck
May, 6s-10o in 22-100 in 23l-l0o in s.so-1oo IN
June, 3O-1OO in 37-1O0 in 100 in 41-10O in
july 7l-loc in 2s-loO in Trace 2s-lOO in
From the above 1t is apparent that
they have some pretty dry weather to
contend with in the Palouse, Big Bend
and Walla Walla section, and that North
Dakota 10 not the dryest place in the
world where they are trying to raise
wheat.
Having produced wheat to sell let US
inquire into the relative merits of the
two localities in marketing the crop.
And to do this let us take the wheat at
the thresher and deliver it in Liverpool
from both sections. The farmer raising
wheat in Washington and Oregon must
sack his wheat before shipment, as all
wheat exported from the Pacific coast is
handled IN sacks, for the reason that it
Is transported IN sailing vessels and as
the hold of a ship IS one large tank there
is danger OF a cargo Of loose wheat shift.
ing in rough weather and endangering
the vessel. The cost OF sacklng wheat
averages about four cents per bushel,
not including the extra work involved in
sacking nor the added cost Of handling
from the farm to the cars. Below give
the cost per bushel Of placing the wheat
In Liverpool from eastern Washington
and also from North Dakota:
From Washington. Cts.
cost OF sackinR 4
Freight to Puget Sound or Portland 1879
Elevator charges at tide wster.... ~
Ocean freight $4,000 miles, five
months TRIP. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 2l1{
Cost Of delivery in Liverpool. $3.50. 41s
Total 44as
From North Dakota. OTIS.
Freight to Duluth (sverage). 49,. il
Elevator at Duluth. ........ e
Lake freight to Buffalo. ...... 4
Freight Buffalo to New York, in
Guiding elevator charges at Buffalo 5
Loading charges in New York. .... lB
Ocean freight to Liverpool 5000
miles) .................. "a
Delivered at Liverpool. .......... 41s
Total .........,.... 49,. 1924