Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-18
RUINED NH[AI FIELDS
Sensational Reports From Red
River Valley Indicate the
Most Serious Conditions
PROSPECTS OF CROP CALAMITY
Crop Expert Visits Northern Wheat
fields and Makes Discouraging Re-
port-Many Fields Will Not Be Har-
vested-WiId Scenes In Minneapolis
Market-Prices Going Up.

Minneapolis, Aug. 1S.-The nervous
tension is straining traders to tn
| breaking point. They are now confron
ted by the weather bureau with tn
possibility of frost. Should it come
the price would bound up to at leas
s1.25. Some brokers say frost tonigh
| would mean an almost immediate ad
vance of 80 cents.
No. l northern sold for cash at ST..
131aM1.191s in the Minneapolis marke
yesterday.
Mr.. Shows report, sent in this morn.
ing from Fargo. is the most sensation,
al yet issued. When threshing begins
ne says. wall will go up that is lou
der than anything that has yet beer
heard. He has been over many fields
in the northwest, particularly in the
Red River valley, and after close in,
spection declares that While the field,
look fine there is little In the heads
Some are SO poor that farmers are
piowing them under.
Yesterday afternoon, Mr.. Snow wiz
ed from Hillsboro, n. D., that many
fields will not be cut. Preston. one
of the largest farmers in that section
Will put in moving machines, and burr
the straw in order to clean the fields
for immediate blowing. Around Cas-.
Teton some of the earliest fields, he
says, show fair crop. Most OF the
crop, however, is late, some even be-
ing in bloom, and this Is going down
fast. In fine, Mr.. Snow says, there i
in prospect the greatest crop calamity
of years in the northwest.
AS to the speculative grain marke,
the best men in the trade have give,
up trying to call top on 1t and moth
ing that might happen would surprisf
them. Unless a change comes soor
and sensational reports from the graif
fields cease. a runaway market may
develop that would surpass anything
ever known in the history OF the grain
trade.
The trend Of the foreign market
indicates that England is seriousl!
alarmed over her source of supply IL
the Canadian northwest. The Amer.
can winter wheat yield is short. anc
the spring wheat crop is in deplorable
condition. II it should prove that the
Canadian crop is seriously impaired
iverpools advance would be quick anc
strong
The northwest is watching the gy-
rations of wheat in Minneapolis with
avidity Minneapolis men throng the
chamber and those who have slight
knowledge of the operations of the
traders stare at them from the gall
lery seats aghast. The gallery was
filled yesterday. many women hav-
ing been attracted by the excitement
which attends the greatest wheat mar
ket Minneapolis has ever known.
There are also many from out of the
northwest being present. The
brokers' offices We're crowded with
customers and friends of the traders,
who embraced every opportunity af-
forded to watch the occurrences Of
this period which are making history
in the grain trade.
r. r. Robin. premier Of the prov
ince of Manitoba. was on change yes
terday. Mr.. Robin said he had
heard the many reports current as to
the Canadian crop. but knew nothing
as to their authenticity and had 40
opinion Other Canadians on change
say Manitoba has rust. and all Winni-
peg is disturbed by the seriousness of
the situation. James A. Patten, the
Chicago leader, and c. III. Spencer,
the big trader Of st. Louis. are en-
route to Minneapolis, and Will be on
the floor today.
Its no use being bear on this
crop" said an old trader yesterday.
You can no more keep the
wheat down than the Canadian tariff
restrictions could keep the rust from
going across the line It Is. in a
legitimate sense, the biggest market
ever saw There is no manipulation
10 corner or anything OF the sort. 1t
lis purely a legitimate situation. We
lad little left from the old crop, but
ne had good prospect both south
~est and northwest hence no one
bought any wheat. The trade has
been bare of wheat and not few
we're short on the prospects. The
winter wheat crop was soaked by
rains and floods the spring wheat was
III shot to pieces, and now it looks
IS ii the Canadian northwest crop is
. suffer. l would not venture any
prediction as to where it will stop.
Wheat could easily advance 30 cents
II more In case of a killing frost"
Flour Prices Go UP.
Flour prices jumped 35 cents bush
H. this following continued steady adj
ances of the past week. Yesterday
tirst patents are 1uotable in car lots, In
wood. at s6.30m6.40. which, compared
With $4.0O65.10 short time ago.
Possibility of Frost.