The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-05
WHEAT DECREASE
not SIGNIFICANT
REPORT DOESN'T NECESSARILY
INDICATE DIvERsIFICATION.
Figures Cause Deep Discussion at
Chamber Of Commerce, and It Is Ad-
mitted that Theorists May Find Ma
terial- surprise that Receipts for
Season Were Not Considerably
Smaller.

Changing conditions in the north
west and the probabilities in agricul-
ture for the future were discussed at
the Chamber Of Commerce today, fol-
lowing the publication Of the annual
report OF +. w. Eva, chief grain in
spector. In the crop, year Of l904.06
off by 1871 carloads, the total being
i25,564 loads. In the same period
coarse grains showed an increase OF
about 5000 cars.
No doubt is entertained that this
showing will give rise to much infer
ence the country over that will be er-
roneous. It is expected by the cham
Der officials that economic writer's will
OF dlversification, and that much COM
ment, theoretically correct, will be over
drawn and the situation Overstated in
consequence.
Really the surprising thing is not
that the receipts fell off, but that they
decreased by only 1871 cars. The three
states Minnesota, North and South
D?akota-raised, on the crop in ques
S bAs 5e reRG1
III, JAG, III bushels in 1908. A decrease
Of 5000 to- 5000 cars might reason
ably have been expected. But high
prices drew up winter wheat from the
southwest and western wheat from ter
ritory ordinarily tributary to the Pa
c1lc coast, and so the decrease was
really light.
.-. Rust Hit the Wheat.
The crop of 1904 was the smallest
for many years, due to damage by rust.
In ordinary seasons the northwest will
continue to produce 3O,OOO,OOO to 5O,>
OOO,OOO bushels more than was raised
that season, for years to come. Event.
ually the tendency towards diversified
ton and intensified farming will change
conditions materially.
Altho the breaking away from wheat
and the turning more to coarse grains
and dairying is a feature so marked as
to be noticeable generally-especially
in southern and southwestern Mime
sofa and in the Red river valley-it
will probably be at least five years be-
fore 1t begins to have effect upon total
yield: New land is being opened to
over to other uses. This is especially
true Of western North Dakota. From
Bismarck to Dickinson many little val
| leys now have their wheat patches, and
! along the Heart river considerable il
now produced. Wheat, both spring and
durum, is now raised twenty miles
south of Mandan on land once thought
| to be barren. ... - .. : -.
Consideration of the effect Of de-
creasing northwest acreage may be dis.
missed, the grain trade feels, for at
least five years. How the thing will
have shaped itself by that time cannot
be foretold. The Canadian northwest
will have it's influence The acreage in
the three states will be affected in
some degree by prices, but practically
it will stand unchanged.
| The one feature Of most Importance
is the variation in yield per acre. For
several years the yields have been
ditions and the presence of parasitic
or other inimical influences make pre-
diction wholly impossible as to produc
ton, but as to the total acreage sown
to wheat, it appears almost certain that
there will be no decrease Of Importance
for some years to come.