Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-08-13
BANNERCROP SEASON.

BIG ACREAGE AND YIELD IN THE
NORTHWEST.
Total ya1ue of Seasons Products In
Three States Estimated at s3oO,o0O,-
600 = Year of Great Prosperity for
the Farmers.
The Northwestern States are now In
the midst of the greatest harvest ever
known. Minnesota, North Dakota and
South Dakota have produced more wheat,
oats, barley and fax than crop estimaters
have credited to this territory. and this
has been accomplished under adverse CON
ditions unparalleled since the settlement
of the country.
Heavy rains and SHOW in March, fol-
lowed by rain aud destructive hail and
wind storms almost daily up to Aug. !,
with an unpreeedentedly low Temperature
during this period, upset all calculations
of the farmers. Seeding was delayed for
weeks, and a large area that was intend
ed for wheat was seeded to other grains,
while thousands Of acres of land have lain
fallow for the reason that it was impos-
sible to work in the fields.
Rhe greatest loss OF grain has hecn
from high winds and hail, which lodged II.
and, while the loss of perhaps a couple
of million bushels of grain in the three
States will fall heavily upon individual
farmers, it will scarcely be noticeable in
the aggregate yield of the three States.
The hot winds which usually prevail in
July did not come, and grain has not suf-
fered from this cause. Grasshoppers, rust
and the Hessian fly have been in eyi-
dence. but have done little damage. and
the farmer finds himself ready to harvest
good average crop.
1t is not a bumper crop that the North
west has raised. 1t is rot large yield
on a greatly increased acreage. except
wheat. that has made the Northwestern
States produce the largest crop in its his
tory. Had the conditions been favorable
throughout the season with the present
acreage the figures would be enormous.
Some of the best known estimaters
In the country, men who are familiar with
conditions that go long way toward de-
termining what a crop is worth, have
been through the fields for more than a
month, and during the past week have
| been following the thrashers in southern
Minnesota and South Dakota The Great
Northern, Northern Pacific, Chicago. Mil
waukee and st. Paul. Chicago and North
western, and 500 railroads have had the
Jest authorities inspecting the crops and
reporting on the prospects and conditions,
while the big elevator lines have also had
their experts in the fields. These re-
ports have been submitted and compiled.
Estimate as TO Wheat.
A conservative estimate eft the wheat
yield of the three States does not bring
the aggregate much above the figures of
! year ago. Had the conditions been right
for planting last spring it is not too much
to say that the combired yield would have
been in the neighborhood of 235,000,OOO
| bushels, Notwithstanding the fact that
farmers are turning their attention to
diversified farming and decreasing to a
considerable extent their wheat acreage.
The estimate of this grain, which is ad-
mittedly conservative, follows
Minnesota ......... ....... So,oOlooo
North Dakota .............. 5o,O0O,OOO
SO, b Dakota ..,........... 3S.OoO,O00
Total ... ...... IFS. coo
Good authorities put the yield in Mime
| sofa as high as 100000, North Dakota
as low as 45,000000 and South Dakota
at 46.000, 900, but these figures are far
| from correct, and are not in keeping with
| the acreage planted and the loss sustain
| ed since planting In making the fore
going estimate the yield is given at thir-
teen and one-half bushels, though many
authorities do not concede so much. for
! the reason that much of the wheat will
not be of heavy sight or fully filled out
F., la the berry.
| Oats is the best grain crop and has been
carefully estimated, and while many re-
| porters place the yield below these figures
| it may be safely calculated that the
States have yielded thus:
| Minnesota ........ ........ 6o0oU,OoU
| South Dakota -. .......... 200O0,0o0
| Total ... ...... 100, 000,0 900
This is , bout 100000 bushels greater
than in 1858, when the largest crop ever
! raised was harvested.
Flax is the big crop, and will maAa up
| for the shortage of wheat. While this
! grain will not all matureiti is estimated that
the yield will be 100 per cent greater than
! a year ago. This is the result of condi-
tons. The early rains which prevented
! wheat planting made it necessary to plant
| a late crop, and farmers turned their at
tention to fax. Again. hundreds of thou
sands of acres of new land We're brought
under cultivation by the vast number Of
farmers which settled in the Dakotas last
year, and this was planted to flax as the
only crop that will yield profit on sod.
The estimate follows:
| Minnesota ,........ ....... lV,VhlUUO
| North Dakota ...........- .-o.oVJ'uuU
South Dakota ............'.. 3VUo,VVo
| Total ....-.... ....... .44'Ulo,VoV
In value the flax crop of these three
States will not be far behind wheat this
fall.
Corn Makes Record.
Corn. which is full of promise fo- a
good crop in Minnesota and South Da-
kota. if the weather continues favorable.
will yield more than ever before. There
will be between G5. 100000 and T0,Uo0,oW
bushels raised, divided as follows:
Snnth Dstafa 40 1000. 900
| Minnesota - .-'sVS'sSNO