The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-07-18
GOOD FARMING
TO PROVE
THIS. SEASON
Wheat Fields Showing Up Care.
full Preparation of Soil or
the Lack of 1t
CONDITIONS MUCH BETTER
Remarkable Change Effected in
Last Two Weeks by
Timely Rains

This is a year when good farming
will prove ITSELF said Postmaster
Frank Reed this morning upon his re-
turn from an auto tour through south
ern burleigh and Emmons counties.
From Hazelton to Moffit the crops
are very good" said Mr.. Reed. In
other sections there are many good
fields, and my opinion is that we Will
harvest much better yield than we
believed possible two weeks ago"
Attorney Wesley l.. Smith, return
ing from an auto trip to WlbauX,
Mont, and through the southwestern
part of the state, found crops in fine
shape in the WibauX and Beach coun-
try. North and west of Glendive the
crops seemed badly burned, and at
that time the fields between Medora
and Bismarck were in poor shape for
lack of moisture. There have since
been two good rains which have
wrought a remarkable Improvement.
Mr.. Smith, who was accompanied by
his wife, found the Red Trail in excel
lent shape. and drove from Bismarck
to Wibaux with a Dodge car in ten
hours. .
Throughout the western half OF
North Dakota recent rains have great
ly improved flax which for time
promised to he an almost complete
failure Fields which had shown no
progress at all are now coming up
green and majority of them are in
blossom. More rain will be needed
TO carry this crop through, but the con-
dition is not nearly so desperate as
it appeared only few days ago. Many
pastures have been burned to a point
where they are beyond redemption.
and there will be shortage of hay
in many sections. An abundance OF
grass is reported on Standing ROCK
reservation, however.
A great deal OF wheat is very short,
especially where it was disked into
The stubble, a practice fortunately not
common during the last spring, be-
cause the early breakup gave a ma
jority of the farmers an opportunity
10 properly prepare their land. In
most instances where wheat has SUI
fered, the tip OF the head has been
scared. and the average Of grain to
the stalk has been reduced at least
fifth. The recent rains, however.
have helped to fill out the kernels
which had developed and have i'm
proved the length Of the straw: An
average yield of seven bushels to the
acre is generally predicted. At ~
the bushel. there will be more money
in North Dakota's prospective crop OF
9O,0OO,0OO bushels than there was in
the l59.00OO0O bushels harvested in
1915, when early safes were made
around rs cents. There has been no
sign of rust in central and western
North Dakota Some fears OF the
scourge have been expressed in the
Red River valley, but no actual dis
covery Of the spores has been re-
ported. Recent very hot weather IN
the central and western parts of the
state has again made rain an immed-
late necessity, but prospects for fro
Quent showers at this season OF the
year are good, and one or two more
light rains probably will carry the
crop over to fair yield
Winter rye is generally light as to
stand from jamestown west, but the
heads are we'll developed and will
make fair crop. There are some
very good fields OF barley, but the
acreage is small. The rye acreage
will be the largest this section of the
state ha sever known. Conditions as
to oats are decidedly spotty. Some
uncommonly good fields are to be
seen, and there are some. remarkably
bad ones. The crop enerally has sur
fered from a lack of moisture at
time when 1t was needed. Corn has
never looked thriftier at this time of
the year, although recent cold wealth
er has retarded it somewhat. The
crop is certain to make good ensilage.
even il the grain does not mature. and
IT. will fill very pressing need for
fnrapA ......