The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-12-27
HEAVY SEEDING OF WINTER is
REPORTED FOR NORTH DA-
KOTA THIS YEAR.

So~N
this fall following the extremely
heavy increase Of a year ago. Rye
acreage is with few exceptions as
heavy or increased in the heavy rye
sections Of last season, and in addi-
ton has spread practically over the
entire state. The prominence Of rye
acreage is especially noticeable in
the central and western sections.
Numerous farmers in these sections
believe that rye promises a more sure
crop than wheat in the event that
next season should be dry, and espe-
cially where the acreage Of wheat is
SO large that all cannot be seeded
early.
The prominent causes of the
heavy change to rye are: Fear Of
1913 labor shortage; transient labor
high priced and often unsatisfactory;
foul seed growth on numerous farms
is heavy and farmers are anxious to
plant a profitable cleaning crop; de-
sire is quite general to avoid summer
following under the prevailing high
rye prices; fear Of rust damage to
wheat; rye as a rule will escape both
rust and hail damage; rye will divide
farm work to better advantage and
permit handling the usual acreage or
more with less help. Day labor us
ually is cheaper an dmore easily Sc
cured at rye harvest period than
later. Grain and hay feed was a.
short crop in the western half Of the
state, and umerou farmers were
unable to purchase high
priced feed to do the usual amount
of cultivation. Seeding a much larger
acre of rye than usual appealed to
them as the best way out of their
difficulties. Rye usually sown in the
stubble with little or no preparation !
previously. A large amount of labor
is thus saved and rye yields have
equalled or exceeded wheat in
the past, with few exceptions.
Fall condition of rye is freakishly
and spotted, due to uneven
moisture conditions, and due to the
seeding period being extended into
In several instances early
sown fields in central and WESTERN
sections terminated quite well, but
partially dried out later due to fall
drouth. Owing to October snowfall
over northern and eastern sections,
subsequent mild weather, the
later sown rye in this area is inclined
to average up more favorably, but
due to moisture deficiency prevailing
over large areas of the central and
southwestern parts Of the state, the
conditions there are a a rule unfav-
Considerable rye was sownt
late to terminate before the VIM
ter freezeup and its condition cannot
be determined until spring. The mer-
it's of this method of rye seeding may
been reasonably successful thus far.
The consensus of opinion indicated by
personal interviews and written re-
ports from the state as a whole, also
from person investigation, shows the
rye condition to be ~noticeably below
average.
Winter Rye Acreage - North Da-
gotta: Planted in the fall of 1917,
.,34O,O0O acres, compared with 1,O66,-
700 acres last year. Condition Dec.
LIST, 70 per cent of normal, compared
With 81 per cent a year ago and 88
DER cent, the ten year average.
Winter Rye Acreage 49, United
6,120,OOO acres planted in
all Of 1917, compared with 4,480,OO
lcres last year. Condition Dec. LIST,
Al per cent Of normal, compared
With 1878 per cent last year, and 92.2l1
'er cent the ten year average condi-
ion on December LIST.
Winter Wheat Acreage - United
Planted in the fall Of 1917,I
:2,2O0,00 acres, compared with 49,
$4,000 acres planted last year. Con-
lition Dec. list was 1913 per cent Of
lormal compared with 85.7 per cent
asst year and 1913 per cent, the ten
ear average on Dec. LIST.
)R. E. F. LADD, FOOD ADMIN
ISTRATOR, GIVES OUT ADDI-