The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-16
SEEDING IS SET !
BACK A WEEK
SNOW IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN
NORTH DAKOTA.
Necessity Of Drainage Is Again Empha-
- sized-Some Uneasiness Felt in Parts
of Western Minnesota Because of the
- Check Put to Planting.
Special to The. Journal,

Special to The Journal
Grand Forks, N. D., April 16.-Incle-
ment weather has delayed seeding in
this state a full week The rain fell
for several hours, and then turned to
snow, which covered the ground in some
places to the depth of an inch or more.
The heaviest snow. was in the central
and western part Of the state.
The wet weather. following a year in
which great damage was done by an
excess OF water, has re-directed atten-
ton to the question of drainage. : At
the drainage convention held here some
months ago, a resolution was adopted
favorlng tho use of money from the ma
tlonal reclamation fund for drainage
purposes. this money to be used in
drainage works where needed in the val
ley, and repaid in the form of an an
nual tax. There is no question of the
feasibility of the plan. viewed as a sep
arate enterprise. or Of the absolute safe
ty of the investment. 1t appears, how
ever, that opposition has arisen to it on
the ground that if the government goes
into the business Of improving private
lands, a precedent will be established
which may lead to untold complica-
tions. $500 --.-- = =
1t is pointed out that the precedent
has already been established, and that
the government has already expended
money for similar purpose where a.
large proportion of the benefits will &C.
crue to private lands.
In the meantime active interest con-
tlnues in the drainage projects planned
under the existing state law, and soma
important bitches will be constructed
the coming summer. One of the larp-
est planned is in Pembina county. run.
n1ng from near the base of the Pembina
mountains to the Red river. and
draining an immense area More bitches
are planned for Grand Forks county.
and in Cass there will also be much
work done. =...~-.-.
The natural tendency of bad weather
at this season is to diminish the wheat
acreage and to increase that of the
| coarser grains. It is difficult to aver
| age seeding time over a large area, but
1T is probably fair to estimate that be-
cause OF the rains Of the past week,
seeding In North Dakota will average
from, five days to a week later than in
the average year. That does not neees.
sarlly mean that the crop will be that
much later, or any later, as the time
lost In seeding may be more than made
up by fine weather after the grain is
IN the ground. Some grain was sown
1 before the rain, and if good weather
follows now, that grain will have an
| excellent start. .s-
Fergus Falls, Mimi. April 16-The
government weather observer reports a
4 total rainfall of almost exactly two
| inches here the past week. It has been
impossible for farmers to do any seed
ing even on high places. The flats are
literally flooded, as there was too much
water there before the rains of the past
week began falling.
The delay is causing uneasiness, but
there is still time to raise a good crop.
/ A little wheat was planted early in
April, but the amount is mere frac.
/ tion of the total acrea na o4 A. 49,.