The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-02-15
JOHN n. RICH.

terSt OF the banks and business men
has been centered in an unusual de-
gree during the month upon the seed
situation. The agricultural schools,
county agricultural agents of the
various states, the bankers of the
district, the United States depart
ment of agriculture and the Federal
Reserve bank, have all been actively
interested in trying to solve the
problems that are ahead The North
Dakota legislature has been in
special session and some of the
western counties of that state are
actively at work on the issue of seed
grain bonds for the relief of farmers
who were hard hit by last years
crop failure.
At a conference held late in the
month at Helena, the agricultural
and banking interests of Montana
were in consultation with leading
bankers of st. Paul and Minneapolis
in an effort to solve the seed problem
in that state Questions had arisen
as to the constitutionality of the
Montana seed grain law, giving
counties the right under certain con-
ditions to issue bonds and employ
the proceeds in the purchase of seed
for farmers Soon after the confer
ence. the Montana supreme court
found the state law defective, and in
order to provide means of meeting
the planting problems in that state,
Governor Stewart Immediately called
special session of the state legis-
lature to meet on February IA, for
the purpose of adopting a law that
will meet the objections found by the
supreme court and permit the
northern and eastern counties of the
state to proceed with their plans to
issue bonds and employ the proceeds
in the purchase of seed grain.
1t is of some interest to know that
seed grain bonds have not been is
sued in North Dakota for twenty
five years. A situation such as ex-
lists at the present time when the
legislatures of two northwestern
states have been called into special
session on the same questions, is
evidence of the unusual problems
that confront the agricultural por-
lions of the district. Serious as they
are, these questions will be met.
The banks and bankers of the west
ern half of the district are thor
oughly alive to the present situation
and are prepared to extend the
fullest possible measure of banking
credit, as result of the emergency.
There are some counties in Western
North Dakota, more particularly
those that are sparsely settled and
have large numbers of homesteaders,
that are now proceeding with the is
sue of seed grain bonds and several
Montana counties will follow as soon
as the new law permits them to do so.
This action is not likely to be gen.
eral in all of the counties that had
short crops. The situation can be
met in some of the counties without
taking advantage of the bonding act.
Government Begins to Buy Seed
Grain. fs
A survey of the situation in the
western part of the district made by
representative of the seed stocks
committee of the department of agri-
culture at Washington shows that
North Dakota is not badly off for
wheat. The problem in that state is
chiefly one of properly distributing
the supplies of wheat that are now
in the hands of the farmers Mon
tana is, however, far short of nor
NAL spring seed wheat requirements,
and is in worse position as regards
barley, especially oats. The depart
ment of agriculture has already TAX
en- steps to provide some relief and
has orders in hand for twenty car
lots of oats and a large quantity of
barley, which it is now collecting. A
special representative of the depart
ment has obtained considerable SUD-
plies of both grains, including oats
testing 971a per cent, and barley
testing IS per cent. He has author
ity to purchase and distribute seed
to farmers at a price representing
cost plus handling
AS result of the special legisla-
tive session, the Montana seed law will
be reconstructed and an act
passed at an early date under which
It Will prove possible for the counties
That are in need of seed to move
promptly in providing oats, barley
and wheat for farmers that are prac-
tically without seed or the means of
obtaining it. Public-spirited citizens
OF that state have taken a keen in
terest in the situation, and in one of
the important eastern grain raising
areas, local men are interesting
themselves in active steps to relieve
the situation.
The Seed Corn Situation.
After careful inquiry since early
December, the Federal Reserve bank
completed late in the month a sur
vey of the seed corn situation in the
ninth reserve district, in the course
Of which it distributed 10000 posters
and 100000 warnings to individual
farmers. A total of GAL reports were
obtained through cooperation of
local banks, out of which 143 dis
closed the names of persons having
supplies of seed corn for sale. The
remaining 498 reports were from
communities in which there is
either no seed corn available or an
insufficient supply to meet local re-
luirements at planting time. Com
oaratively few counties except in
South Dakota report that the farmers
are well supplied with seed, and it'd
s evident that in many cases where
'armers are holding supplies for
heir own use in the spring, that be-
cause of failure to make proper tests.
disappointing result is in pros
)ect.
AS result of the census, it has
been possible to list the names and