The Minneapolis journal., 1906-08-11
The Wheat Crop.

All the good things said about the
crops of the country as a whole were
borne out yesterday when the govern
ment issued the August report. The
crop-reporting board of the bureau Of
statistics of the department Of agri-
culture makes the figures for winter
wheat 493, ,434 900, subject to some later
revision in minor way. Last year the
total was 419, ,4S3, 900; in 1904, 1925, ,374,-
900; in 1908, 4O1 100000, and indeed
the present crop was never before
equaled and but once closely ap-
proached-in the figures Of 471,6S2,000
for 1901. The remarkably high yield
this year of 1877 bushels per acre
| against l43 in 1905 accounts for the
7 big crop.
Final figures on spring wheat will
| not appear for some time yet. Condi-
| tions are given, however, showing the
standing in Minnesota at 85 Aug. l
against ten-year average Of "a, North
Dakota SS against "a and South Dakota
! 80 against 81, the spring wheat condi-
tion of the entire United States being
expressed as 500 against .ten-year
average of S2.6. @'7>' - ="
Corn stands at Ss.l for the Aug. 1
condition against "a for the ten-year
average.
All the other important cereal crops
show good averages.
The whole makes an exhibit promis-
ing great railroad and commercial ac-
tivity. Any lowering of the promise
in wheat must come from the&north-
west. 1t is possible that were the Re,
port made up today the spring wheat
would not stand quite as high in con.
dition, for in some localities bad wealth
er since Aug. l has injured the crops
Relative to the whole this is not serious
enough to change the promise materi
ally, tho it is bad for some Minnesots
counties where damage was severe. >
There is now no doubt that there il
large exportable surplus Of wheat il
our country. There has been some fea1
expressed that unless prices go low tht
surplus will not move. This is probably
unwarranted. Since. July 20 to date
about 100000 bushels Of wheat ha
been purchased by foreign importers
and while this is not heavy business
considering the size of the American
. crop, it is remarkable so early in tn
L season.
l The maximum promise is, for 760, 900,
4 600 bushels of spring and winter whea
in the United States, with a possibilit,
still remaining for some lowering 0
Z this in the spring wheat states. Will
this is a big crop, it must be remem
bered. that the quality Of the winte
wheat is good and the spring whea
i, promises well in this respect. This i
4 a strong point. The foreigners have al
i ready shown a disposition to buy an
- there is every probability that our e1
portable surplus will be worked off a
70 satisfactory prices as the year draw
ance and strengthening the position q
- our country abroad, while bringing ou
farmers much money for their crop
: Notwithstanding the likelihood ths
prices for wheat will rule somewhs
- lower in the world IS markets than ft
y. the past several years.
t. Since the above was written, Fl.
g Jones has given out a report on whes
d. in which he, as result Of his persons
10 observation, estimates the winter Whes
n somewhat lower than the governmel
IS figures and the spring wheat somewht
s. higher. Mr.. Jones places North Dakoi
n far in the lead this year of all tt
IS. wheat-producing states and figures tt
n crop of that state, including the durul
ID at 1Oo,OOo,000 bushels; for Minnesot
at he estimates s0,oO0,0O0 and South D
IN kota 5o,oOo,ooo, making 23o,ooo,o(
n, bushels in prospect from these thrt
i'd states. The total spring wheat produ
d. of the country outside Of these thr'
le states is estimated at 71,000,00o. M
of Jones total for spring and wint
1t wheat thruout the entire country