The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-31
About Time for a Big Crop.

Ii
they we're supporting. They generally do.
About Time for a Big Crop.
Tomorrow will bring the month of
April and mark the beginning Of al
livelier interest in all things agricul-.
tural. Spring farm work will soon
be under way over the northwest,
wheat seeding having already begun
In a few favored localities. 81
Early as it is, there is already much
speculation as to the probable out
come, and even now, before the seed
is in the ground. there is interest in
the matter Of what may be hoped for
In the way Of crop returns. One
thing that appears almost a certainty
Is large increase In the wheat acre.
age In the three states.
g, For several years there has been
tendency to go in more for diversif1ca-
ton. AS dairying has increased, SO
has the acreage devoted to coarse
grains increased, and, in the past sea-
son, more corn, oats and barley were
sown than ever before. Indeed, the
tendency to diversity, and to substi-
tute coarse grains for wheat, has been
quite the feature Of the northwestern
agricultural situation. Coincident with
this has been series of moderate
wheat yields, due largely to occasional
periods of unfavorab1es weather dur
inr tho crrnvyincr or or h ruocf
time. After several years Of this, and
in the midst of the working out Of
the Investigation idea, two changes
have occurred that are likely to be
Of great influences; one a rise in wheat
prices, the other a material decline
in flax. That the result will be an
increase this year in wheat planting
and a relatively smaller flax and coarse
grain acreage Is reasonable expecta-
ton.
The northwest needs big wheat
crop this year, a good old-fashioned
bumper crop. A yield Of 225, 100000
to 250,000,000 bushels is what the
northwest ought Is have, as an Offset
to the moderate returns Of recent
years, and the extremely light crop of
last season. Such a quantity Mime
sofa and North and South Dakota
could readily turn out, given good
acreage and favorable conditions thru
out. A big crop would make the
farmers happy, make better business
at country points, give the railroads
more tonnage, fill up the terminal ele-
vators, increase the business Of the
banks, put the miller in such position
that he would not have to worry about
raw material. fill the land with pros
perity and directly or Indirectly bene-
fit everyone in the northwest.
| There is an abundance of@moisture
everywhere in the country, which is
a very favorable preliminary condf-
ton. The rest depends upon Provl-
.dence. But this ought to be a good
year. Even If the expectations be
based upon nothing more than the
rule Of chance, 1t is time for good
season to come around.
Should the northwest raise a big
l crop, IL uOeS 11OL necessarily lO11OW
that the farmers selling price will
be very low. Prices will depend
largely upon worlds crop yields, about
which we can tell nothing now. But
there are many things to indicate thai
the northwest could raise a big crop
and get very satisfactory prices for
it. Wheat stocks are light every
where, and are growing lighter. BY
May / the northwest will be more
thoroly cleaned out of old crop wheat
| than on any like date for years. The
consumption Of wheat is increasing
and there is uncertainty as to winter
wheat. We know by the governments
fown figures that the winter wheat
area. is 100000 acres less than q
Iyear ago. On April 10 the govern.
ment will tell the world what the
condition Is, and if state reports and
private reports already received are
a fair indication, the condition will not
be very high. It will not surprise the
grain trade If the government puts II
under 80, and it may go asSlow as Is
i When Admiral Togo succeeds In bot
! ting up Port Arthur he should change his
name to Gottlere.
Prevention Of Tuberculosis.