Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-07-10
Corn Prospects Slightly Bet
ter Than Normal; Rye and
Flax Falling Below, Usual
Mark; Grasshoppers Are
Peril to Large Production
During the Present Sea-
son. -,

...#- .#l@r 81 IN a.E3I NG-sHrE -
The government crop report issued
today through the office of A. ]. Sur-
raft places the condition of North Da-
kota crops near the average,~excep+
tons being corn, which is above aver,
age andtrye n~0ticeably below average.
Flax and corn acreages are about the
same as last season. Potato acreage
is slightly increased.
Past month hot and sultry being
the hottest June since The rain
fall ranged from negligible in the
southwest and west central to IL to
ga of normal in eastern half Of state,
where the hot weather and favorable
soil moisture conditions plant develop
ment has been exceptionally rapids
Stands run from fair to heavy but
rather, weedy. On the whole crop con-
ditions in the eastern half of the
state are favorable, but normal wealth
Ell is needed to strengthen. the vitality
of plants and retard the development
of stem rust. Passing to the western
half Of the state conditions are spot
ted due to both drought and grass,
hoppers, and range from fair as far
n slightly west of the north and
south part of the Missouri river, and
in the upper northwestern counties to
a near failure in the dry district
largely confined to the eastern half of
Bottineaue county and nearly all terri
tory from the main line of the G.. N.
Ry. in Williams and Mountrall coul14
ties south to the South Dakota line.
Extreme heat forced grains to head
out fully as early as usual notwith-
standing the late seeding. Size Of
heads varies from favorable length in
the eastern counties to unfavorably
short in-the dry districts. The above
comments are especially V. truej Of
wheat, oats and barley. State barley
N@~lj<;~S. - @,.~ R~.,>so I'll
than wheat and oats as the larger
part Of the acreage is in the eastern
or more favorable part of the state.
Eastern Part Better.
Rye condition. similar to other crops
is better in eastern than western half
of the state. UnfavOrably hot and dry
weather during the stooling stage fol-
lowed by unusually sever g%rasshop-
per damage to rye heads has decided
ly reduced the,rye crop outlook to the
poorest, of all crop prospects in the
state. Stands incfines to be s~pottedsand
thin, especially in the western coun-
Ing state rye condition at the close of
the month n numerous farmers in
the western half of the state have cut
their hay to save it from hoppers.
Grasshopper Peril.
close Of the month was more serious
than at any time this season. In addi-
ton to being more or less general
from the north-central to the south
western part of the state. partial or
local infestations are reported over
widely scattered areas of the state es-
pecially west of the>Leeds and James,
terial from distant points now that the
nearby supply of, poison material is
exhausted is further h~andicapping this
i. uphill fight. howeverlif, the extent of
damage is to be reduced this season
and a worse infestation avoided next
q season. a vigorous and persistent cam
paign of eradication must be kept up
:, by, all farmers in every infested To-
cality.
Flax Acreage Unchanged.
: State fax acreage is the same as
last year. Reports indicate that the
west central and, southwestern coun-
ties Of the state which have been in
the heavy flax acreage te%rritofy show
a decrease OFFS to 20 per cent which
is about Offset by the heavy increase
In old land fax in the eastern half of
counties shows little change from a
year ago. Eastern half Of state acre.
age shows a very favorable condition
as a rule. but tapers off to spotted and
below average in the western sections
due to drought and grasshoppers.
State condition is slightly below aver
age
Corn acreage is unchanged from
last year for the state as a whole. a
slight decrease in several counties in
the northern half of the state has
been met by a small increase in
southern counties. Excepting the
southwest, the state corn condition is
~notieeably above average and outlook
is the best since 1914.
More Potatoes.
state potato acreage is increased 2
per cent owe last season. This in
crease is largely I'M the central and
northwestern icounties; the increase
being especially heavy in the Berthold
district. Acreage runs rather erratic
for counties in the eastern half Of tho
state, some more and some less than
last year, but averaging up nearly the
same as last season for this part Of
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