The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-19
FOR DOLLAR WHEAT 500 REPORT STUDY ]
Pacific Coast Farmers Holding Their
Grain Washington Has
25,ooo,ooo Blu.
Quality Promises Well-Rad Thresh-
ing Weather-More Diversi-
fed Farming.
sp.oial to The journal.

Special to The Journal.
North Yakima, Wash, Sept. 19.--Many farm
ers out here are holding their wheat for VI.
They expect shortage of wheat In all coun-
bank credits or can secure money by Mortgaging
for the winter and will held their grain u the
prices are not satisfactory,
The fall rains have caused much anxiety IN
the Washington wheat fields. Many hundred
acres of the grain remain untouched by the harv
yesters, 1t Ia feared that some fields will be
lost entirely because Of the early wet weather.
Estimates place the crop of the state at about
%, 600, 900 bu. The yield 10 smaller than last
year, but the acreage is larger. Only porr
tion has been harvested and threshed, and but
little has reached the markets of the Pacific
coast,
Threshing Delayed,
Over 800 threshers have been in operation
until the rain began few days ago. 1t il
estimated that these machines threshed an aver
age o. 200 hu each per day. At that rate
It would require almost two months to complete
the harvest, Without rain the farmers had
expected to set the wheat out Of the way be-
fore the snow fell. Now they will be delayed
indefinitely. Some fear there will be par
tial repetition of 1903, when the crop was de-
stroyed BY rain.
Washington has approximately 100000 acres
dry during May and June, and the crop cut short
because Of the drought. Some sections will
not harvest more than y per cent of the aver
age crop: The quality thus far threshed Ia ex'
ceptionally good, and some sales have been made
at the local mills for 70 cents per bushel.
Demand Is Urgent.
Buyers are energetic In trying to contract
wheat for future delivery. They represent firms
from all sections OF the old world Much OF
the grain goes to the ports of Puget Sound and
| from there Is shipped to the orient. Last year
about two,thirds of the wheat grown in the
state Of Washington was shipped IN this manner
to foreign countroies. In former years the wheat
growers had not profits from anything but the
| threshed grain. Now many Of them have
fenced their lands and use the fields for pastur-
| Ing hogs and sheep. The straw that was burned
ON the ground la being fed to sheep and cattle.
Several large tracts have fields sown to the
Russian grasses. The bronze seems to be the
most valuable for pasturags and hay. It is the
earliest In the spring and the latest in the
fall to give green food for stock,
Mixed Farming Pays
An illustration of the value of mixed farming
Is given BY one man who gets more money from
eighty acres In wheat and eighty acres in bronze
grass than could be expected from any special
crop He formerly planted the entire tract to
wheat. At the best. be could not get more than
| 1900 bu OF grain from quarter section This
has sold at from zee to SOC per busheI Last
year he sold hogs to the value of 81, 900 from
the place and had a large band left This Is
an index OF the way the wheat fields of Wash.
lhgton viii be cut out from the worlds pro-
duction of bread.