The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1904-05-07
THE o

received here from the country, i
is apparent that many North Da
kota farmers are considering tn
expediency of seeding some othe
grain than wheat.
To such as are contemplating
this, we say, don't do it.
Take the very latest chance con
sistent with good farming to SOY
wheat. Under the most favorabl,
circumstances. the Northwest can
not raise enough wheat to depres'
the price this fall one iota.
Even had the conditions beer
favorable from the early start, it ii
doubtful if tie Northwest coulc
have raised a bushel more wheat
than would have found a ready
market and at good prices.
The United States makes it's own
wheat prices these days, and in
spite of the fairly bearish outlook
abroad at present, there is every
reason to think we can and will
make the worlds price during the
coming crop year.
It is impossible, in a short arti.
Gle like this, to go into the why's
and wherefores of this belief but it
is a fact that must be apparent to
all who have anything to do with
wheat.
Further. whether it be true OF
not, will cut but little figure as the
trade in its entirety has come to
believe in IS cent wheat. It has
taken five years to convert the trade
and the chronic or professional
bear to the belief that so or IS cent
wheat is not high priced wheat.
Now that they are educated to the
price it will take an equally long
time to reconvert them if it should
appear that production was over
taking or exceeding consumption.
Therefore we say again and in all
confidence that the Northwest need
have no fear of raising too much
wheat.
If, however, it becomes an abso-
lutte impossibility to SOW wheat and
some other grain becomes an i'm
perative necessity then we would
suggest that the farmer go lightly
on barley and flax.
1t may not be generally known
to North Dakotans themselves, but
it is a fact that there are but few
sections Of the country raising bet
ter oats than come from Dakota.
The only reason they do not COM
mand a larger premium over oats
from other sections is for the very
singular reason that we do not get
enough Of them. If the Minneap-
oils markets are getting larger re-
ceipts of North Dakota oats they
would find other and larger outlets
for them than are now sought for.
thereby bringing the superior quail.
ity to the attention of the customer
who at present are ignorant that
oats are handled here at all.
Another feature of the oat mar.
ket is practically unlimited. Dur.
ing the past year a good export de.
mand has existed and will always
exist at some price. With barley
and flax, however, especially the
latter, the market is limited to one
particular purpose.
If more barley is raised than car
be used by the malsters, the bal.
ance will go for feed stuffs and the
price of all grades, mailing anc
feed grades, both will suffer.
Last years barley crop was the
largest ever raised in this county
but was fairly we'll taken care of
still 40 to As cent barley cannot
be as good paying a crop as 30 tc
IS cent oats.
As regards barley crop prospects
it might be said that some of the
older states are reducing the area
this year and it is not probable We
will have any larger total area than
seeded last spring, regardless oil
what the Northwest does.
Still it should be remembered
that an average yield in North Da.
kota last year would have produced
| about twice the number of bushels