The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-07
GREAT SHORTAGE.
OF SEED CORN IS.
Seen BY ]. 4. Rich.

The monthly report Of crop and
business conditions in the Ninth
Federal Reserve district for Novem-
Der by John HI. Rich, chairman and
federal reserve agent. follows in
part:
'sThe outstanding feature OF the
months developments is the grow
ing promise of an acute situation in
the spring in regard to seed corn.
Generally over the district, the re-
cent crop is soft and comparatively
little Of 1t will terminate. Experts
who have given the situation close
study during the month report that
the quantity of good seed that is
available is alarmingly small.
1.-THE final figures on the Second
Liberty Loan, compiled during the
month, are such as to cause great
satisfaction. The Ninth Federal Re-
serve district subscribed a total of
S140,932, $50, or approximately $50
per individual or $3.50 per family, on
the basis Of population. A fraction
better than "a per cent Of all the
people in the Ninth Federal Reserve
district were bond buyers as COM
pared with an average of "a per cent
for the United States as a whole.
Liberty bonds have found their way
into 20 per cent Of all the families in
the district, and an especially salts
factory feature Of the result is the
fact that 620,S11 people purchased
bonds in denominations Of $4,000 or
less. The exceptionally wide distri-
button Of the small denomination
bonds indicates that every class of
the population participated, and that
the sales among the farmers and in
the purely agricultural sections were
very satisfactory.
1T is probable that in point OF the
general distribution of bonds to the
people, and percentage Of bond sales
on the basis Of population, the Ninth
Federal Reserve district has done as
well, IL not better, than any other
district in the United States.
Business Normal.
Normal business conditions have
prevailed during the month. Whole
sale and retail trade has been
satisfactory and collections good.
Bank clearings in practically all
cases are about the same as a month
ago.
THE demand at both city and
country banks has been active and
rates have been very firm, with some
slight advances. The discount rates
OF the Federal Reserve bank have
undergone fractional advances in or
der to bring them. into line with
banking conditions throughout the
district.
AN unsatisfactory feature of the
months development has been the
heavy movement of stock out of
Montana due to. q shortage of feed
and an apprehension on the part of
stock men that they would not be
~ - a. T.
OF another winter as severe as the
last. This movement has made
heavy demands on the railroads, with
the result that stock cars have been
hard to obtain and shipments inter
fered with in both NORTH and South
Dakota and Minnesota. A reduced
movement from Montana promises to
relieve the car situation so far as it
concerns other shippers. The short
age Of box cars is severely felt at
practically all country points, es-
pecially in the western half Of the
district, where cars are urgently
needed to move grain. Country ele-
vatOrs are well filled, but are having
difficulty in making shipments. The
movement to encourage capacity
loading has had some effect, but is
not yet general enough to provide
much relief. g..
Exceptionally favorable weather
throughout all OF November has per-
mitted farmers to complete a large
amount OF fall work. Recent freez-
ing weather has put an end to plow-
ing throughout most OF the district,
but Montana farmers are still in
their fields and have put in a large
acreage of winter wheat, which is
very promising. In that state the
loss Of winter wheat which winter
killed last year has had the result of
inducing most farmers to save out a
sufficient supply of good seed for
spring planting on any acreage that
shows injury. This viii prove to be
good insurance of a large acreage in
that state on the next crop"