Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-08-06
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SHORTAGE OF WHEAT
Carefully Gathered Information from
the Northwest Shows a Big
Shortage Of Wheat.
Chicago Crop Experts Puts the Total
Yield Of Three States at s6,
900, 900 Bushels
Large Percentage Of Acreage will Not
be Cut and Other will Yield
Poorly.
SHORTAGE OF WHEAT.

SHORTAGE OF WHEAT.
The shortage of spring wheat in the.
northwest is clearly shown by B. W.
Snow, the crop expert who writes for
the Chicago Times Herald of the situ-
alton in the three states of Mime
sofa, North and South Dakota. Com
menting generally on the situation he
says:
So far as the spring wheat crop is
concerned the only question is as to
the extent Of the disaster. AT the
close OF June every one at all familiar
with the situation agreed that the
crop loss was the most severe in the
history Of the northwest. AS to the
effect of the rains which came with
the first week of July, there has been
and continues much difference of
opinion, and within week there has
been a range in the estimates of those
affecting to be well informed of from
100000 to 125,O0O, 100 bushels for
Minnesota and the Dakotas. It is
perhaps significant that the higher
range {of estimates comes from
sources connected with the elevator
interests in that section Of the coun-
try.
With a view of ascertaining the
situation as it is seen by those classes
whose daily duty requires them to
keep in touch with agricultural con-
ditions in their respective localities a
special circular was this, week sent to
country bankers, managers of local
elevators. railroad station agents and
individual farmers in every county in
the three northwestern states.
Each Of these classes is necessar-
ily familiar with the local conditions.
and each reporter was cautioned to re-
port for only his own township, or at
least for a definite area with which he
was personally familiar. The circu-
lars were so scattered as to secure re-.
ports from all sections, but especially
full from the districts of heaviest
population
Returns have been received from
l37 country banks, 11S local elevators,
eighty railroad agents and 14O farm
ers selected for their special expert
enee in Judging OF crop prospects.
These returns when consolidated into
county averages include those coun-z
ties which have 80 per cent of the
wheat acreage of Minnesota, 81 per
cent Of South Dakota and 81 per cent
Of North Dakota. n.
The questions submitted were:
/. What percentage OF the acre.
age seeded will not be harvested?
22 At what do you estimate the
rate of yield per acre for all the area
that will be cut?
8 What do you consider an aver
age rate of yield for your section in a
norman year?'' IS 3
From the returns received, Mr..
Snow estimates the total crop of the
three states at 81, ,23O, ,OOJ bushels, al
lowing q, ,430, 900 bushels for Mime
sofa, 19, ,908 900 bushels for South Da-
kota and 100000 bushels for North
Dakota. Mr.. Snow puts the acreage
abandoned in North Lakota at 40 per
cent. giving the number OF acres for
harvest at 300, 900 and the average
yield at 6.3 bushels.
In summary Of the conditions in
North Dakota Mr.. Snow says:
Not single county in North Da-
kota shows anything like full crop,
Richland in the extreme south of the
Red Rived valley. making the best av-
erage with 10.I bushels, against
normal Of 16. This is the county
that received a good local rain on
June Il. The averages for the differ
ent sections in the order Of their I'M
portance are as follows:
Acreage Yield Yield
Abandoned 1900 Normal
Fer Cent Blu. Bu.
Red River ], J. s. 3. 80 60 16.2
Cheyenne Valley 81 il q
East 80 b. is .6
Jim Valley a. Gs 40 12 i
Devils Lake "a rs. ~ 16 p