The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-10-19
WASHINGTON CROP LARGE
WHEAT SHOWS A GAIN OF FIF-
TEEN PER CENT IN THE
STATE.
Increase Is Due Entirely to Fine Har-
vest of Winter Wheat in All
Sections.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct 19.-The
of Washington a wheat crop of lit
tie more than 23,OOO,OOO bushels. This
is an increase of little more that
$1,000 900 bushels, or about Is per cent,
over the crop of 1908. The gain is sig
nificant in view of the fact that there
as a whole, amounting to something
like S5,OO0OO0 bushels. All present
figures are subject to revision by the
crop experts of the department of ag-
riculture in December, but they are
probably not far from the truth.
The gain in Washington this year
is due entirely to the fine harvest
of winter wheat, the crop being est1-
mated at 11.426,O 61 bushels, as against
only 7,517.179 bushels last year The
Washington spring wheat crop is, on
the whole, disappointing, although the
indications were exceptionally good
shortly before the harvest. The OctO
Der estimate of the department of ag
riculture places the acreage yield in
Washington at 1879 bushels. Last year
it was 2O.1: but this years figures may
be improved by the final estimate to
be made by the department statisti-
clans in December.
Crop Better In West.
Wheat conditions were unfavorable
during the last season throughout the
eastern end of the northern belt of
states, extending from the Mississippi
river to Puget sound, but in the west
ern end the crop was better and larger
than last year. This strip of territory
annually produces approximately one
third of the entire wheat crop of the
United States. Despite the fact that
there was much damage from rust ana
from drought in the near northwest,
it seems probable that the final esti-
mate of the agricultural department
will show the falling off in the crop
of 1904 to have been smaller in this
northern belt of states than in the
rest of the country as a whole.
In the states of Minnesota, North
no, Washington and Oregon, which is
the territory under consideration, the
indications are that the 1904 crop will
amount to 194,7S6,112 bushels. This
includes both winter and spring wheat.
No winter wheat is raised in Mime
sofa either of the Dakotas or in Mon
tana, but both spring and winter
wheat are raised in Idaho, Washing
ton and Oregon. The combined c-1p
last year, for those states, was 213.-
4S3667 bushels, so the falling off in
this years crop for this northern tier
of great wheat producing states was
1S,697.555 bushels. There was a loss
of 20,3391 100 bushels in Minnesota and
the TWO DdkOldS alone, anu tHeTe was,
therefore, a slight increase in the
combined crop of Montana, Idaho,
Washington and Oregon.
The best wheat conditions anywhere
in the country were in Idaho and
Washington. The production of wheat
in Idaho is relatively small; but
Washington has become one Of the
principal wheat producing states.
Both states are remarkable for their
large acreage yield. Idaho holding the
record last year for the yield per acre
of winter wheat. Montana's wheat
crop is never large-2,5O0,OOO bushels
| being about the average-but the
state heads the list in her remarkable
acreage yield. In 1908 the yield of
spring wheat, per acre in Montana was
2S2 bushels, but this was reduced this
year to 239 bushels, according to the
! October estimate of the agricultural
department.