The Red Cloud chief., 1907-05-10
CONDITION OF CROPS
SECRETARY WILSON THINKS DAM.
AGE REPORTS EXAGGERATED.
Says Claims That This Years Har.
vest in Canadian Northwest viii Be
Seriously Diminished May Have
Some Foundation in Fact.

Chicago, May THE reports Of
damage to the crops which have been
so numerous of late, owing to the un.
~seascnable weather and the ravages Of
bugs, have been greatly exaggerated,
according to James Wilson, secretary
Of agriculture, who Is in Chicago.
Spring seeding is q little back.
ward" said Mr.. Wilson, ION account
Of the cold weather, but there Is
plenty OF time between o and the
last OF September to grow a crop OF
all kinds of grain. In Minnesota and
the Dakotas, where we get most of our
spring wheat. seeding has been de.
layed about two weeks, but with a few
days OF warm sunshine planting will
be in full swing. While the weather
has been u~nseasonably cold in some
districts, it has not been severe
enough to retard blowing, and my adj
vices are that the ground In these
states has been nearly all made ready
TO receive the seed. We will have
warm weather in a ew days now and
] don't see what is to prevent a nor
NAL crop of spring wheat In these
states.
las regards the condition northwest,
the claims being made that this years
harvest will be seriously diminished
may have some foundation. Accord
ing to what | consider authentic ad.
vices from that section, he weather
has been so cold that blowing has
been almost impossible. In past
years the Canadian farmer has gen.
orally left his blowing for the spring,
and this year he finds himself in a
bad predicament. In a normal year
seeding would be about half finished
in Manitoba and adjoining provinces,
but | am told that To-Day the farmers
there have not got the ground ready
for receiving the seed, even If the
weather was favorable for this work.
However, such a condition in the
Canadian northwest will not make a
great deal Of difference when this
years crop is harvested. The Cana
dian farmer grows but a small pro-
portion of the total crop of wheat an |
am of the opinion that the deficiency
there, if there be any. will hardly be
noticed when harvesting throughout
the world has been completed.
I'm the southwest there nave been
numerous reports for the past three
weeks of damage being wrought by
green bugs. These reports of damage
to the winter wheat have been grossly
exaggerated. | am in a position
where | get as good information as
anybody regarding the growing crops
While | have had many reports about
the green bug, the damage wrought
by these insects has been local In
every instance and there has not beer
any general attack by this pest, al
some people are endeavoring to make
il appear. From nay knowledge OF thu
southwest, where SO much OF our win
ter wheat Is grown, the advices a
hand lead me TO believe that that dis
trict will have its usual crop this year
This applies TO oats and corn AS wei
as wheat. The crop as a whole ma,
be delayed somewhat in %ripening, bu
not enough to cause any apprehension
Corn will suffer most, as plowing 70
this crop has been delayed consider
ably, but | see no cause for appr(
heusion. There is considerable graf
crown between WASHINGTON and Oh
cago and from my personal obsery,
ton | can state that never in II
life saw better prospects than thos
of The present in that part of the coul
try. Taken as a whole, | see no csus
for complaint ana | think it will
found by threshirs time that all tn
cry of crop damage has been mad
for a purpose"