The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-08-11

CJOUs " -
The Weld of wheat in Minnesota and
the Dakotas is now very we'll known.
The fields have been gone over and In
| spected carefully until almost every field
| in the Northwest has been rated.
The government report for 1890 places
| the Weld of wheat in Minnesota and the
| Dakotas at ISL, 710,55O bushels, which
grain dealers, millers and producers de-
| clare is about accurate. The yield is d.
/ vided among the three states thus:
Minnesota os's<0'o o1
North Dakota S1', ,Ss -
| South Dakota 37,7Ss,339
.l57, 71o.5so
Tbe acreage upon which this was raised
| aggregates, according to the government
| report, ~, 600, 96s, divided as follows:
Minnesota 40 e4o
North Dakota a'oao'o1o
South Dakota S'o2o'olS
If the yield and acreage are correctly
| given, and they appear to be right, the
wheat yield per acre Of the three states
was:
| Minnesota bushels
| North Dakota bushels
eou Acreage Practically Unchanged.
In comparison with the season of 1899,
taking the reports Of about 400 cor
respondents of all classes, the present
years wheat acreage show scarcely any
/ change at the beginning Of the season.
/ In a few localities there was a slight In
| crease and in others less wheat was
| sown, so that it may be safely said that
| the acreage planted to wheat in the three
| states was not materially changed this
year.
Now, how much of the acreage planted
to wheat yielded a crop? Taking the
reports Of the correspondents, Of elevator
men, of farmers and of experts we can
find no instance where they concede more
than half a crop for Minnesota, ignoring
the acreage question except in a general
way in arriving. at their conclusions. It
is impossible to discover just how much
land failed to produce crops. If, however,;
the estimate that Minnesota will produce
half a crop is correct, n this estimate
is admitted to be liberal, then there will
be raised in this state "a, III. $50 bushels
Of wheat
North Dakota Summary.
The reports from North Dakota are
more positive. The condition has been
more easily ascertained. for the state
was quite generally damaged from the
same cause n at the same time-the
drouth. 1t Is claimed, and the estimate
has not been changed for six weeks, that
half Of the wheat acreage was totally de-
stroyed and hat the remaining half was
damaged so per cent. Even this appears
large when reduced to bushels, but as Q
ao~ear,,o< {,Vn nok;ooo&n <6fo oroaiAo AYo~&h
Dakota with one-fourth Of an average
crop, or II, $780, 57 bushels.
South Dakota appears to have Jared bet
ter than her sister states. with favor
able conditions we will have IS per cent
OF an average crop" say the best authors
ties. This is undoubtedly a liberal esti-
mate, but. accepting it, We have %, 291 .152
bushels of wheat for South Dakota.
Thus, after analysing the crop situation
in the three states, Minnesota and the
Dakotas show a yield as follows:
Minnesota "a. III, 100
South Dakota ................. q. 296, 1b2
The Estimated Shortage.
This makes a shortage In the wheat
crop of the three states Of 49, 1862, 951 BUSH
els. 1t is not claimed for these figures
that they are accurate. They are simply
estimates based on reports which seem
to be fairly reliable. They differ widely
from the conclusions arrived at by q
body Of experts representing the ele-
vators, grain dealers and millers of Min
neapolis and Duluth, who, on the basis
Of the reports Of their agents. supple
mented by a tour Of inspection. estimated
the crop of the three states at 100000
bushels.
A common mistake in estimating this
years shortage has been on the assump-
ton that last years yield was anywhere
between 16s,000,O00 and 200,0 00. 600 BUSH
els. This mistake Is quite natural in
cleaning returns from the two principal
terminals in this state. much Of the
grain produced appearing at both points.
Much Of the grain shipped to Minneapolis
is reshipped to Duluth, and registered at
both places. There are other points. also.
where reshipments are made. and this.
added to the fact that much Minnesota
and Dakota wheat goes tosChicago, Mil
waukee and other points. makes it quite
impossible to estimate the yield other
than by the government method.