Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-08-12
BANNER CROP SEASON.
BIG ACREAGE AND YIELD in THE
NORTHWEST.

Total Value 9f Seasons Products In
Three statess Estimated az $500, ooo.-
COO Year tf Great Prosperity for
the Farmers,
The Northwestern States gre now in
she midst Of NE greatest harvest ever
Snown. MINNESOTA, North Dakota and
South Dakota have produced more wheat.
pats. barley and flax than crop estimaters
aave credited to this territory, and this
Aas been accomplished under adverse CON
Aitions unparalleled since the settlement
of the country.
Heavy rains and snow in March, fol-
lowed by rain and destructive hail ard
wind storms almost daily up 20 Aug. !.
with an upprecedentedly low temperature
during this period. upset all calculations
eif the farmers. Seeding was delayed for
weeks, and : large area that was intend
ID Tor wheat was seeded TO other grains,
while thousands of acres of land have lain
fallow for the reason that 1t was impos-
sihle to work IN the fields.
The greatest loss of grain has been
from high winds and hail, which lodged it.
and, while the loss of perhaps couple
cf million bushels of grain in the three
States viii fall heavily upon individual
farmers, it will scarcely be noticeable in
the aggregate yield of the three States.
che hot winds which usually prevail in
July did not come, and grain has not suf-
fered from this cause. Grasshoppers, rust
snd the Hessiaa fly have been in evil
0ence, but have done little damage. and
the farmer finds himself ready TO harvest
a good average crop.
. 1t is not a bumper crop that yhe North
west has raised 1t Is not a large yield
ON greatly increased acreage except
wheat, that mas made the Northwestern
States produce the largest crop in its his
tbry. 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 so long way toward de-
ttsrntining what crop is worth have
baer through the fields for more than
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
best authorities inspecting tho crops ana
reporting on the prospects and conditions.
while the big elevator lines have also had
their experts in the fields. These re-
parts have been submitted and compiled.
Estimate as to Wheat.
IA conservative estimate of the wheat
yield OF the three States does not bring
tie aggregate much above the figures of
a wear ago. Had the conditions been right
fer planting last spring 1t is not too much
I'd say that the combined yield would have
been in the neighborhood OF 235 100000
Bushels, notwiths tanding the fact that
formers are turning their attention TO
diversified farming and decreasing 10
considerable extent their wheat acreage.
The estimate of this grain, which is adj
mittedly conservative, follows;
Minnesota .... ..,.... S5,00O,0 900
NDrth Dakota ............ 60,OOO,OOO
South Dakota .........-.... 3S.UH,NOO
Total .... ..... IFS, Zoo, coo
Good authorities put the Yield in Mime
sofa as high as $4,000, 0ee, North Ds'kota
AS low as $4,000 goo and South Dakota
at 46000,000, but these figures are far
9rom correct, and are not in keeping with
the acreage planted and the loss sustain
I'd since planting. in making the fore
going estimate the Yield is given at thir-
team and one-half bushels, though many
authorities do not concede so mueh for
the reason ;hat much of the wheat will
not he of heavy weight or fully filled out
jnIthe 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 ....... ........ DD,UUu,OU
North Dakota .............. 2J.OOO,OuO
South Dakota .......... 20,000000
Total ........ ..... .lVJ,OOO,OOO
This is about 10000, 900 bushels greater
than in 1898, when the largest crop ever
raised was harvested.
FLAX is the big crop, and will make up
for the shortage of wheat. While this
grain will not all matureit is estimated that
the yield will be 100 per cent greater than
q year ago. This is the result 0f condi-
tons The early rains which prevented
wbeat planting made it necessary to plant
a Fate crop, and farmers turned thesg at
tertion to fax. Again, hundreds Of thou
sands OF acres Of new land were brought
under cultivation by the vast number OF
farmers which settled in the Dakotas last
year, and this was planted TO fax as the
only crop that viii yield profit on sod.
The estimate follows:
Minnesota ....-.... ..-.... 3S,VOp,OW
Moth Dakota ............. 25,oOO.OOO
Soath Dakota .............. 9,OOO,OdO
Total ....... AZ, OOO,OOO
Ia value the fax crop Of these three
States will not be far behind wheat this
fall.
Corn Makes Record.
Corn, which is full of promise for a
good crop in Minnesota and South Da-
kota. Il the weather continues favorable,
villa yield more than ever before. There
wills be- between 65, O00, 900 and 70O00,O00
bushels raised, divided as follows
South Dakota ....s.......... 4OOOO,OOO
Minnesota ...... Dunn. .23OOO.OUO
North Dakota .............. 2OOO,OOO
Total ...... .. 81 00O,00
Some OF the corn has suffered through
low temperature and hail, but Of late
the crop has forged ahead wonderfully,
and if frost holds of till Sept. 10 it will
practically all be gathered.
The only grain that wiz not COME up 70
the expectations Of those who are used to
talking bumper crops" Is wheat, but
even this vii be large enough 10 meet
pres ions records, and, with the ADDITIONAL
yiela q other grains, the prodnyt Of the
farmers Of the three States will aggre-
gate in value more than In any previous
yeas or the four grains enumerated
atoye, the realization in cash. apon a
conservative valuation, will be:
17s,OO0,OO0 bushels OF wheat
at 80 cents ............ xoO,0OO,OOO
A. 100000 bushels Of aax at
gf25 - $4,000. 900