The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1914-02-20
ESTIMATE OF
CROP VALUES BUNC[ED
CONTINUED from Page ~

In December, 1903 the department
OF agriculture at Washington stated
in the Crop Reporter"-the official
organ Of the department-that the
yield of spring wheat in Minnesota
Tor 1903 was 94.0S0.00O bushels and
90,7G2,OO0 bushels in North Dakota.
1t should be remembered that this
was the same Year for which the GEN.
u enumerators gathered crop stat
iStlcs in the spring Of 1910, and that
the AGRICULTURAL department derives
it's information from the guesses of a
few correspondents. while the census
officials actually. visited and talked
with every farther in both states. In
March. 1912, when the final figures
of n census bureau for the crop of
1909 became available, it was found
that the yield of wheat in Minnesota
Tor that year was only 57.O94 bushels
instead of 94,080,000 bushels as for.
merly published broadcast by the de-
partment Of agriculture. and that the
yield in North Dakota for the same
of 90,762,000 as published at the same
time. These figures show errors of
3S,66S,0O0 bushels in favor of Mime
sofa and 26.020.0 900 bushels ~unfavor-
able to North Dakota, showing, nearly
three years after the false statement
was sem broadcast throughout the
world. that North Dakota raised So
6SS.000 bushels more Of wheat in
1909 than did Minnesota. instead of
3,31S.000 bushels less, as published
in December, 1909. A further study
of the Crop Reporter" shows that
the department of agriculture admit
ted their error, for we find in future
fluctuations of crop yields hat the
census figures have been adopted in
toto. In short this ponderous ag-
gregation for the diffusion of misin-
formation calmly, deliberately and
with every indication of liking it,
swallowed a go, 900, 000-bushel error
without the batting Of an official eye
or the least culver in the smooth
workings OF bureaucratic incompe-
1ence.
The methods OF gathering statistics
In vogue in the state department are
characterized by the same thorough
ness as those of the census enumera-
tors, each farmer being personally
seen and interviewed under path by
the different county assessors. the
tabulated result being forwarded to
the commissions" of agriculture and
labor by the various county auditors.
These figures show the actual amount
of grain raised during the crop year
preceding that of the assessors visit
and the actual acreage planted for
the current year +. Thus. while the
state department Is not yet in pos
session Of the yields for 1913, it has
exact figures on the acreage planted,
and. on the basis Of an average crop
for 1913. which is 10Y conceded to
have been harvested, a figure to a
bushel the amount produced for the
whole state. Taking then the acre
age figures gathered by our assessors
and the government figures for the
United States on yield per acre and
price. which the reader can see at a
glance are conservative and reason
able for North Dakota, the following
interesting results appear. and II they
do not justify the statement that
North Dakota has again been handed
a lemon by the alleged government
experts then figures mean nothing,
water will run uphill and President
Wilson is a stalwart republican. The
items enumerated are exactly the
same as those upon which the gov.
eminent bases Its libel, which gives
to Minnesota the sixth place in value
Of the crops named. and to North Da-
kota the twenty.second place. BY all
the rules Of equity and honor the rel
alive positions should be reSersed,
and then some. In. three years-per.
haps-a revision along these lines
may be adoptedfsa as the governments
official figures. Here is the state.
ment: r