The Bemidji pioneer., 1901-08-15

The three states OF Minnesota. North
Dakota and South Dakota have raised
1s3. 600, 900 bushels Of wheat In 1901. The
estimated result Is as follows:
Acres. Av. Blu. Total Blu.
Minnesota. 6.250,0o0 IL 1-2 s,000,0o
N. Dakota. $780, 900 IA Ia as, 600, 900
$. Dakota. 5000, 200 10 50. 600. 900
Totals. IA, 45O, 900 IL ga $4,000. 600
The acreage basis is about the same
as last year. but South Dakota has been
reduced in this estimate q little. and
Minnesota and North Dakota have each
been raised, so as to about offset the
reduction made in South Dakota.
Estimates Too Low Last Year.
y The wheat crop OF 1901 has Its Inter
esting points. as did the crop OF 1900.
Last year there was great unanimity
OF opinion In the Northwest and in Chi
cago that the yield OF wheat In the
three Northwest states was not above
Il 100. 100000 bushels. The government
placed the total on a basis OF 10000, 600,
and it was supported In this view BY all
the public estimators. My own Judg-
nent was $4,000, 900, and the statistics
OF the distribution OF the crop now
available show l4o. 00O, 900 as the approx
innate total OF the production IN the
three states last year. That was a sea
son when nsiderable crop was pro-.
duced, Notwithstanding the popular
opinion that 1t was a small production.
Estimates Too High This Year.
The features OF the crop this year IS
4 that the majority Of estimators have
erred In the opposite direction by put
ting the total yield much too high. The
gossip has been all the year that the
Northwest had a bumper yield. The
fact is, a bumper crop, in the true
sense, would not have been realized had
there been no intense heat to blight the
crop, but a total OF perhaps 210,00o.oOo
would have been raised, a total no long
Ter bumper, In the three states, be-
cause Of the average increase since 1891.
This Is safe conclusion, as proved by
the average size or the wheat head this
year; 1t could not, when filled, nave
produced d bumper yield Tor the
whole area. There Is wheat Of splendid
yield this year In the Northwest. but
the area OF heavy yield is quite limited
B in proportion to the acreage; the crop
As distributed quite evenly.
R& North Dakota Saves the Day.
q North Dakota has raised a fine crop
Of wheat--75 100000 bushels. And yet
there are marked defects In the Red
River valley But for the help OF the
counties west OF the Cheyenne river
and along the north boundary, the yield
of North Dakota would not JUSTIFY
great enthusiasm But those outside
counties came to the rescue, and a fine
yield has resulted.
NJ In Minnesota and South Dakota the
result Is only fair. Minnesota produces
practically the same amount rs last
year and South Dakota produces less
not less average, but a less yield, due
/ to changes made In acreage.
with these general observations made
let us look somewhat at the details OF
the crop.
There Is, apparently, no important
difference OF opinion as to the YIELD In
North Dakota. The figures given here
are one bushel lower per acre than the
highest estimate Of so000,000. My 1udg-
Ynent, after four days inspection Of the
crop in this state, confined to the dam
aged portion OF the Red River valley,
was that 10000, 900 was high enough.
After ten days inspection, added one
bushel per acre to the average yield.
and placed the acreage at high point,
Minnesota's Yield.
There may be an impression that
Minnesota has produced a crop consid-
erably in excess OF last year, and to one
who has not followed closely the chang
Cd Of production area In the state. such
an opinion is natural The fault with 1t
lis this:
last year the south $40 miles Of the
state produced heavy wheat averages.
In the main, and it is here that there is
a heavy wheat acreage. despite all opfn-
ions to the contrary. 1t was IN these
counties that the wheat was found last
year on which to base the much scored
at estimate OF S0,000,000 for Minnesota:
This year the production has changed
from the southern counties to scattered
sections ali over the state. For IN
stance, 1t is likely that the two counties
showiNg the highest averages THIS year
win be Carver or sib1ey, in the south 4
central part, and Kittson, the most
northern county. Between these two
counties are Polk and Pope counties,
which will be counties of low yield. IL
;a easy to see at once that here ls
very different condition than optaineu
last year, and we must figure accord
ingly.
The counties in the southeast part or
the state did not produce heavily last
wear on account of drought effect, ana
they are moderate producers this year,
on account Of blight and
The Destructive Work
Of chjnch bugs. These insects worked
their way well up into Central Mime
sofa and, with the blight, reduced yields
heavily. In the south-central counties
the blight was the chief cause OF IN
i,1ry. IN the southwest and some OF the
western counties there are gains IN
Weld this year over last; but the gain
is snall when compared with the loss
in the other counties
we now pass to the Red River coun-
Ties of Minnesota, and find that in Nor
tions for the whole area are but little,
If any. better than year ago. POLK
county has been a great sufferer 1ronS
wafer and d large acreage, several miles
snnare. located moth Of Crookston ana
well up to Warren, will not Yield =
watch for Adulterated Milk
r.hica go-adulterated milk and cream
. re to no confiscated in future al the