The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-08-09
VAST INCREASE IN
1909 GRAIN CROPS
CAREFUL INQUIRIES OVER THREE
GREAT WHEAT RAISING STATES
SHOWS THAT YIELD AND ACRE
AGE SHOW BIG INCREASE OVER
1908.

From present indications the In
crease in the yield OF grain This year
in the three great wheat raising states
of the northwest, Norh DalSoa, south
Dakoa and Minneso.s, viii be a
tremendous advance over the yield for
1908. Although 1t is difficult to esti-
maze the yield with accuracy. the
acreage can be estimated with GER
tainty and from carefully gathered re-
ports It is now known that 1t is far
greater than that OF sast year.
The Market Record of Minneapolis
sent out $500 letters to all sections OF
the three states named and he replies
show his big increase in acreage and
also indicate a big increase In the
yield.
The total amount Of wheat in the
three states from the government re-
port of 1908 amounted to 14,21s.oO0
acres against 15.297,o00 in 1909. an
increase OF 1,0s0.000 acres. The wheat
acreage in North Dakota In 1908 was
6,sss.00O while in 1909 the acreage APP
proximates 6,s71,000 acres sown to
wheat. North Dakota leads this year
in total acreage, having approximately
6,371, 900 acres in wheat; Minnesota
has 5,731,000, and South Dakota, $780,
600.
The prospective yield this year is
still greater per acre in proportion.
The yield in North Dakota is shown
by the correspondent to be approxi-
mately 1872 bushels this year compar-
ed to 11.6 bushels In 1908. The wheat
yield for 1909 in accordance with
these figures will be nearly 1850, 600
bushels The total yield Of wheat in
1908 for North Dakota was 6S,42S, 900
bushels.
In North Dakota the increase in
oats both to acreage and yield is
also marked. The total oats acreage
for this state in 1908 was 1888, 900
bushels. In 1909 the estimated acre
age is 1,4S3,000. The yield per acre
for 1908 for North Dakota was 23.4
bushels. The yield this year will ap-
proximate 81 bushels per acre. The
total oats yield will be about 54,s71, 900
bushels for this state, against s2.737,-
900 in 1908.
Barley also shows a gain. The bar
ley acreage of 1908 in North Dakota
was $4,000 acres. This year 9S7, 900
acres have been sown to the grain.
Acre yield this year If the reports
hold true, will be about 1926 bushels
as compared TO 1875 bushels in 1908,
while the total yield will increase
from 1S,300,000 in the state In 1908
to about 32,176,0O0 bushels In accor-
dance with the present prospects.
The flax acreage does not show
much increase in total acres sown,
about 100000 acres in North Dakota
each year. The prospects for 1903,
however, for acre yield and total, are
good. with an estimated acre yield
of 1879 this year against bushels
per acre in 1908, or total yield of
21,267,000 bushels in 1909, against 49,
| 10000 bushels in 1908.
1t Is generally true and this year
bears out the statement so far, that
the ordinary change in crop condi-
tions for the northwest during the
last month Of maturity, is for the
worse, sometimes caused by heavy
rain, heat rust, hail or other weather
conditions, or insects, and it is prob
able that the results this year will be
less than those figures stated above.
However, allowing for an average
change of conditions there will stin be
left much larger harvest of all
small grains, wheat, flax, oats, barley
and rye than was hsrvested in 1908,
and this will bring a vast amount of
money to all the farmers at the pres
ent market price.