Grand Forks herald., 1917-03-24
PER0NNE STREWN:
WITH WRECKACE;;
CITY DESERTED.
Inhabitants Gone and Not 4 !
House Which Had
Escaped :.

A. J. Surratt of the bureau Of crop
estimates. stationed in Grand Forks,
today gave out some interesting facts
on the wheat situation and the esti-
mated food supply for the current
year. revealing a good condition ex-
listing at the present time in spite Of
poor crops Of the past season. The
report just prepared says: s
1.-THE weather conditions during the
growing season of 1915 were unfav-
orable in many parts Of the world.
They were distinctly unfavorable In
this country. Although there was Q
large wheat acreage, the weather con-
ditions were such as to favor the ap.
pearance of the black-rust disease
affecting wheat. The consequences
was that although the acreage was
The conditions were not especially
favorable for corn and for some other
important crops. Still the food out
put on the whole for the current year
was not so small as to excite alarm.
The corn crop was 2,600, 900, 900 BUSH
els, nearly the flve-year average. The
oat crop was above the five-year aver
year average, rye 100000 bushels
more than the f1ve-year average. and
rice 40,00o,000 bushels. as against 2s,-
100000 bushels the year before, and
24,500,0 900 bushels, the five-year aver
age. The production of kafir corn.
relatively new crop, was 60.000.00O
bushels. The production Of peaches.
900 bushels, and Of apples 67,600,00O
barrels. represents approximately tho
five-year average, while the estimated
production of oranges was 23,SOO,000
boxes, or 100000 more than that Of
the preceding year. The crop Of
sugar beets was one of the largest
ever produced. Meat products like
titles, the estimated amount for the
year being 22,37s,000,o00 pounds. as
against five-year average Of 19,712.-
100000 pounds, or 2,000,0OO,0OO'
pounds greater than the output for
the year 1915. Dairy and poultry
products on the whole showed a gain.
Wheat.
THE two food products which re-.
veal marked decrease were wheat
and Irish potatoes. It is evident that
the public has failed to look at all the
facts involved, especially in the, case
I of wheat. The wheat crop for the
current year was reported to be 64O,-
100000 bushels as against q flve-year
average Of 72S,O00.0o0 bushels and
the record crop of 1915 Of 1,026,oOO,-
900 bushels. Apparently the public
AoS SO4ipoICu LIE crop Oh 1910 solely
with the record crop of 1915 and
failed to take into account the un-,
usually large carry over from that.
year into the present year of 164,-.
100000 bushels or more. Further
more its attention has been hxed on
the large exports Of the two years i'm,
mediately following the outbreak of
the war. The exports Of wheat In
normal times are approximately 105,-
100000 bushels. The year preceding
the war it was 100000 bushels,
In 1914-15 it was 332,0O0,0 900 bushels.
dropping in 1915-16 to 243,00O,00O
bushels. Looking only at the crop
of 640,000,000 bushels and having In
mind the possibilities Of export a.
suggested s1g by the figure OF ss2,ooo.-s
600 for 1914-15, the public naturally
a2prehended that there would be
lack or bread. Dealers and others be-.
came unduly excited. The total avail.
able supply, including both the crop
and the carry over. aggregating SO4,-
100000 bushels-part Of which, it
should be said, was not suitable for
milling pnrposes-should have been
ccnsidercu as we'll as the relatively
small exports for the first six laonrhs
Of the current year. Up to the first
OF January the exports were only.
97.GOO,00G bushels, and they have
tended to decrease partly on account
OF the disturbed shipping conditions.
since the first Of January. Our nor-s
NAL domestic needs of wheat fof7
human food, for seeding purposes. ;
and for a reserve to carry over into.
the next year require 64O,O0O,OO0
bushels. AS I have stated, the total
years supply is 100000, 900 bushels. !.
This would give up an available ex.s
portable surplus Of 164.000,000 BUSH
els At the rate Of export since the
first of :uly, with the tendency to
decline recently. we should have
enough wheat in the country very