The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-18
COUNCIL METHODS
AND MEN SIZED UP
EXPERTS ARE
WIDE APART

Jones PesSlmlStlc About Canadian
Wheat Winnipeg Authori-
ties just the Opposite.
Reports from the wheat fields of
Manitoba and the Northwest Terri
tories are most conflicting. H. ".
Jones of minneapolis wired from Win
nipeg today as follows:
Black rust threatens the total or par
tial destruction Of two-thirds of the wheat
area of Manitoba. The remaining one
third is early and will escape with small
loss as most Of it is thick dough and
nearly ready to cut. Every field in the
province south Of Lake Manitoba is in
fected. Whether the rust can be found in
scattered areas of the north part of the
province or In the territories cannot say
from personal knowledge, as I have trav-
eled only in the heavy wheat districts of
southern Manitoba, where lies the princi-
pal part Of the 100000 acres of tho
provinces. Wheat fields on the Portage
La Prairie plains, so miles west Of Win
nipeg and a district rs miles southwest
of Winnipeg show the most advanced pro-
gress Of the disease. In the Brandon and
Hartney districts, 125 miles west, the work
of crop destruction has only commenced.
At Portage La Prairie both early ana
late sown wheat is infected, with some of
the former nearly ready to cut, but with
small promise of maturity for the latter,
which is in large proportion. Already
straw in scattering fields is half rotten
and the wheat is only in the milk. But
small results can be looked for from
fields in this shape, in fact they are like
Iy to be a total loss The stand Of wheat
Is magnificent, showing in this district
rs bushels average on the stand. This
average will unquestionably be greatly
reduced on the total acreage, for some
Of the late fields will not be cut and
others will yield light. In the Brandon
Souris-Methven district there is a good
stand Of wheat and the progress of the
disease is not as advanced as at Portage
La Prairie; it is in the early stage with
rust just breaking out on the main stalk
under the head, some quite well advanced,
others just starting. For the late wheat
there can be only one result, however, a
big loss of yield. On the southern boun-
Diary line the rust is more pronounced,
more advanced as in North Dakota. In
the central districts thirty miles south
west of Portage it is showing up bad
One farmer near Treherne began cutting
yesterday because Of rust but after two
or three turns he abandoned the field as
not worth cutting. The disease is working
in Manitoba exactly as it did in the Da-
in late wheat as it is doing there.
The hope is that the million acres OF
wheat in the Canadian territory will es-
cape rust The trouble has been here as
in the states that the infection was not
understood, hence localities that were
quite well advanced in the disease have
been denying its presence
| The people Of western Canada have {
| crop Of 70, 000,0 600 bushels of wheat in pros
pect on the stand but this will now have
to be heavily reduced according to pre-
cedents this season. Ten days will bt
| necessary to not the damage.
Oats and barley have fine stand throu
the province but oats will feel the effect o
rust as it chooses late oats quite as read
lily as wheat for it's killing work.
Reports to The Journal from
its own correspondent and from
other sources tell quite another story
A Winnipeg correspondent wires thi:
definite bit of information:
| Wheat threshing in Manitoba started
yesterday afternoon. At Kapinka on tn
| farm of William Forbes the yield aver
aged % bushels an acre, and graded Nc
/ hard. Crops are excellent and there
1 neither rust nor frost
What a Winnipeg Expert Says.
The commercial editor Of the Win
nipeg Free Press. one of the best
known crop experts of the Canadian
| west, says:
Another week of ideal weather for tn
wheat. Friday, Saturday, Sunday an
Monday were hot, clear and dry, with
good breeze from the northwest. TIL
progress made those four days was enor
nous, and the reports Of cutting are com
ing in thick and fast from points wher
none was expected before the 22d. B
the Oath cutting will be general thruou
Manitoba, and by the 26th thruout tn
territories. The one fear now is fros
which would do serious damage. If it came
The question Of rust is still agitatin
the American papers, it is not botherin
anyone in the Canadian west. There
known to be red rust in some sections
the province. Samples of the rusted graf
have been received and examined. 1t
confined to the leaves and stems. Som
of the worst rusted samples that could b
obtained were peeled and split, there Wa
no rust on the inner straw and the joint
were absolutely untouched, so that thel
was nothing to prevent the grain matul
ing properly, The heads were long an
we'll filed.
There will be small amount Of depre
citation on late fields, in limited areas, bl
it must be understood that the areas al
very limited and that the depreciation wi
leave little trace in the tale Of the year
yield There has been red rust from tin
u lllIlc Ill SO1liC pCiI VI VAS1H1IOUd ~
years, but it has always been considers
of no moment. It is only the tremendol
fuss made on the American side that he
set people looking for it this season.
The one and only thing feared for OF
crop is frost, and every day Of the pre-
(. ent glorious weather limits the damae
: that frost can do should it come. At pre-!
: ent the thing to remember is, that it hs
not come. The, samples of wheat, stuff
GENTLY ripe for cutting-and they a
numerous-that have come in are mat
: nifcent, the berry being as fine as h:
/ ever been produced The yield will
/ good but will vary somewhat accordi1
. to the section, but the lowest estima
e tf1at has yet been made for any section
fifteen bushels to the acre and the m;
jority reports place the average at twel
ty to twenty five. There are many Sc
tions where the yield will be thirty a,
thirty-fve.
\ The fact wheat spectators, wi
are long on the. market are sending dan
aging reports even from Winnipeg itse
is greatly to be deplored. The private r
. ports to members of the Grain E.Schani
a continue to be Of the. most satisfacto
0 character.