Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-23
WHY WHEAT FAILED
A Summary Of the Conditions in the
Dakotas and Northern Min.
nesota
Total Failure of the Wheat Crop
Predicted in Parts Of Those
States.
Situation Approaches Almost a Ma,
tional Calamity Unusual Daily
Conditions Described.


wheat crop in this country ever was,
by June 10-that is the story Of this
years farming operations in the great
northwest.
In 1898 the two Dakotas and Mime
sofa harvested e25.O0OO0O bushels of 4
spring wheat, and in 1899 they gathered
in and marketed 2o0oOO,0OO bushels.
This year this great wheat empire will
have 900 bushels and not more.
The Dakotas will have al harvest
about 2o.OOOoo0 each. and Minnesota
S5,OOO,0O0
The suddenness and overwhelming
character of the disaster make it we'll
nigh Impossible for anyone who has not
personally seen the fields to appreciate
the calamity. 1t has made it almost
impossible to eXaggerate the situation
from the fact that an estimate radical
one day has by the rapid march of
events become unduly conserva tive the
next.
The primary cause of the disaster is
of course the absence of seasonable
rainfall since May |, but no mere study
of the figures of rainfall during this
" tiosA - 49, - - 9 4. -
= - -,
t.ios. 80.
= w - ,.n. 50. .iis .top. 10y
.His seal 81 iis'Nes oesil q y
noillial anu ~ y q coiipllia.ioH oA az
norman eoHeltloi,s iieS never before sfSl'eri-3
enced ana Whlch might not occur again
IN lietihas, WA i ms spfousht ABOUT
the present faliure.
Last fali there was little or no ram
IN the northwest. Ihreshlng was
never interfered with ana ran piowins
was prosecuted under conditions prac-
tically perfect. Following a dry fall,
the winter was almost absolutely With
out SNOW, stock running at large thru
the season and not a railroad in the
northwest under the necessity of using
a snow pluw for a day. Spring opened
early and without moisture. 50 that
/ seeding was begun and finished from.
tone to three Weeks earlier than usual.
The soil was in the best of filth and the
seed bed was prepared and the seed
4 sown in better shape than for many
/ wears.
lust at that time of general gernina-
stion.thn laet week Of April. moderately
good rains were RECEIVED over the whole
4 belt. with moisture enough 10 Wet the
4 soil down in good shape to a depth of
4 from Two 10 four inches. and this rain
\ was followed by abnormaily hot. forcing
/! weather at the clese of April and early
I in May. Here the foundation for the
crop failure was laid. There was .e,,y
Z, { 80 ! !
H aa the seed sprouted ito roots. following
/ the inexorable Law of nature. ran where
4 they could gel. the greatest suppfy, or
parallel with the surface and only two
VI or three inches deep.
sH Coupled With this failure in root de-
velcpnent. and IN Ia rnea sure. RESPONSE
4 the plant above ground. due 10 the
4 warm. forcing tenn ner:a t,lres exper!e nc.c
lat the beginning of the season of cror
4 growth.
4 This condition Of root aud plan,
S. growth was such that from the. begin.
nins here has been al no time any nos.
/. sibilitv of "a good crop result. The fact
Ehoweyer. that the plant mace rapi,
growth during the first three weeks 81
Man coupled with the fact that it main
flNtalneG HOOu Color UP tOEJurel IL, 1nC
even later, nlisied casual observers int,
the belief thatst there was an exc4llen
prospect the rapid early stalk growth
az has been explained. vas al the ex
pense of necessary root development
and the maintenance Of good color wa
equally simple.
When the frost was gone, as 1t wa
before June. no moisture was left NTH
soil Within reach of the roots and fror
that time forward the life Of the plan
depended upon a continued supply o
surface moisture thru frequent rainfall
The absence Of such rainfall meant rap
id and serious less of vitality.
Approaching this combination of con
ditions. it will be easy to understan
both the suddsnness with which tn
damage developed and the difficult
which casual observers. and especial
those not on the field and who have al
gued on the assumption of the eSistenc
Ief normal crop conditions. have expert
enoed in Srasping the full extent of tn
disaste
In North Dakota and northwest Min
nesota the only prospect for any GRO
Lat all is in the limited districts whic
have had occasional showers while tn
balance of the country was dry. Thes
shower belts are small, and. while 9
great local importance in themselve!
are but as pin scratches on the maj
More than half of the area sown i
North Dakota this year is already be