The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1912-03-16
SEED GRAIN
AND TROUBLE
Wheat Rejected. New Supply
Soon. N. P. Gives Free Freight.
Board Limited on Grain
Allowance.

Board Limited on Grain
Allowance.
The first of the week the Occident
Elevator Co. started in to deliver seed
wheat to the farmers of Stark county
and before Tuesday night there was
trouble all along the line. for the grain
was found to contain about As per cent
of mustard and other foul seed and was
estimated to be about that low in
terminating power. As a result every
car shipped to Belfeld. Dickinson and
Gladstone was rejected. the car for
Richardton being stopped in this city.
The commissioners and the auditor at
once agreed that the wheat was only fit
for feed. 1t came from the Beach
country, where there was both good and
very poor stuff raised in 1911, and the
shipment was mixture of both.
1t was admitted at once by the grain
company that grevious mistake had
been made. They did not seem to know
how it happened and Immediately had
this wheat feed shipped back, promis-
ing to have the right kind of seed grain
in Stark county for delivery about the
25th.
The specifications the county has
with the company are for first class
hard wheat. cleaned and of good germi-
mating power.
The contrac. price for this wheat,
laid down. 10 81. 10 per bushel. At the
time the board received bids this was
the best offer outside of about 5000
bushels of 1910 wheat held by the
Farmers Elevator c.. at Taylor and this
was offered and taken at $1.08. Several
have asked the PRESS the past week
how it was that $40 was agreed upon
for the major portion of the wheat
bought when the local elevators were
buying at .8Sc So far as the PRESS is
able to learn $40 is reasonable price
for cleaned seed wheat. AS much or
more is being paid in Hettinger, Bow
man and Billings counties. and parties
near Dickinson who have really desi-
rable seed wheat, in small lots. are
getting $1.2O and S1.25. AS to the
Taylor price of ST. .OS. the board should,
perhaps, have equalized for the entire
county. which would have resulted in
the Taylor people paying about 1Oc
bushel more and the rest of the county
about 1c per bushel less.
The Coutts Elevator in Bel6eld is sell
ling limited amount of cleaned seed
grain, at $l.15 per bushel, cash on
delivery, which is perhaps the only ele-
vator having any seed grain for sale in
this territory. The county puts its
grain out at $l.19, less freight, as a
loan to the farmer at per cent inter-
est.
It was learned the first of the week
that the Northern Pacific would transport
all seed grain furnished through the
county free Of charge. Agent w. H.
Byrns received message Thursday
morning to the effect that the delay in
getting the free freight was due to the
fact that the order had first to be ap-
proved by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, but that it would be arranged
at once and the farmers would get due
credit for all charges advanced by the
county on their contracts It will
amount to perhaps &c per bushel on
wheat and 3 to 4c on oats, according to
the place shipped from. In this connec-
ton it is understood that the railroads
will not grant free seed grain rates to
individuals. They require certified lists
from the county OF all farmers granted
seed grain allowances.
The oats were shipped from the Gala
tin valley and are very good. The
contract price il &c, less the N. P.
rebate on freight.
1t was great disappointment to the
wheat this week and more particularly
| of extra work has fallen upon Auditor
Hughes, and the members of the board
have been kicked and rallied about on
! all sides.
It was certainly very unfortunate
thing. but it is nothing that the board
is at fault about and it may be that
mix-up in billing cars at the elevator
was the cause of 1t all.
Good seed grain is hard to get this
year and if any farmer has some good
wheat stored away he can certainly get
a big price.
Some have asked why it was that the
board restricted the Grain allowance to
farmers who were free holders and who
had resided in the county at least four
purpose of protecting the county against
contingencies such as the failure of
crop, etc. II the farmer does not, for
any reason. pay up his grain loan in the
fall the debt must be entered as taxes
against his land. II the borrower had
no land and had not lived upon it four
years, the security would not be con-
sidered dood, By law the county is