The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-01
Harvest Time.


Wheat harvesting will soon be general
In the northwest. Thru those more Ia
vored districts Of southern Minnesota,
where the plant growth has been very
forward, wheat will be cut next week,
and from the Iowa line the great wave
will roll along until the land has been
stripped to the Canadian boundary. In
the larger centers a great army Is now
assembling, an army Of harvesters soon
to descend upon the country where there
is the need for thousands Of men. With
the northwest on the edge Of the harvest
season, the absence Of new developments
Of Importance In the general business
situation and the subsistence Of the storm
In Wall street there has been a shifting
of interest this week from east to west,
from matters far removed and of remote
or indirect connection to matters right
at home and Of prime Importance. Every
business man in the northwest is now
principally interested in the question Of
what we are to have In the way Of crop
results.
Aug. 10 will bring two reports, one from
the department of agriculture which will
give changes in crop conditions during
July, the other from Jones, the local
estimator, which will state in SO many
bushels how much wheat has been raised
this year in the three states. Meanwhile
the spring wheat crop has not improved
Besides, to the damage from lack Of rain
in June, there has been later deteriora
ton from unfavorable weather, and to-
day the promise is of yield under last
year. But threshing returns are the only
conclusive proofs. We are now Witness
ing some surprising results in winter
wheat yields, and instances are numer-
Gus of fields in the southwest that prior
to harvest were put down at 18 to 20
bushels, showing only 10 to IL bushels
under the thresher This deception in a
standing crop may work the other way as
WE'LL This week there has been an esti-
mate made that the entire twenty mile
wide strip that runs thru the important
wheat counties in the Red river valley,
where the drought in June hit the wheat
hard, will not average over ~ bushels at
the best Still, fine wheat and a surpris-
ing quantity Of it, sometimes comes of
of short, unpromising straw. A few days
OF cool weather just at the right time
may make an increase of several bushels
an acre over an entire crop, and sucf
weather as would produce this effect has
been ruling for day or two. With al
the improvement that can come and will
a yield in South Dakota approximate,
10000, 900 bushels more as partial Offset tt
losses elsewhere, the total Is likely t.
fall under last year, but there will be {
good yield on the whole, and yield To-
which the northwest may be very thank
full in view Of the fact that month ag'
at this time the entire crop stood in i'm
minent danger Of destruction from
drought? The coarse grain crops tina
come to harvest earlist Of all are turning
out well and there is a big hay CROP
Flax is standing well, and the tempera
lures of this.week altho the cause Of som
nervousness were not low enough to hur
it. The smaller crops are good. TIL
fax farmers will have to take less 70
their crops than for several years pas
when prices were really abnormally high
but coarse grains are bringing fairly re
munerative prices and wheat will Sc
above last year on the average. Will
less money may be needed on the Who'll
to finance the annual spring wheat move
ment, the income Of the farmers Of tn
northwest will not be materially reduce
nor the purchasing or consuming powe
Of the country lessened. There is perio
Of general good business In sight for tn
northwest for the remainder of the year
The southwest had another scare I
usher In the week, and the corn Gre
already late and struggling against az
verse conditions, stood In danger of fu
Their serious damage from hot winds c
the verge Of a great scare the tempers
lures that had been as high as los
places, dropped quickly and good rail
covered the land. The west has had 6
unusually large. number Of narrow escap
this year and there is not the slighte
doubt that in every leading cereal IL
early promises have been lowered beyol
possibility Of recovery, yet it should n
be forgotten that this early Indicate
was phenomenally good, and even hea,
losses will leave the production still abo
the average. And when the final retlfr
are in many who have taken the repor
OF crop deterioration at full value, wit
out allowing for the unusually high co