The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-07-08
MUCH DEPENDS
now ON RAIN IN
NEXT TW0DAYS
Moisture Crying Need of All
Growing Crops in Central
Area-Hay Going Back
BUILDING IS HELD UP
Farmers Put in Orders for Sup
plies Contingent on Rain
: Makers Making Good

= Makers Making Good
A big year for Bismarck, or the
fourth in a series of only average
years, depends upon healthy rair
within the next 4s hours. Without
q good rain, practically all Of the flax
the bulk Of the hay and all of the late
planted wheat will 60 by the boards
and central North Dakota will have
little beside its Implanted wheat
which is now in the milk; its winter
rye, which is now being harvested;
its barley and relatively small crop
of oats to rely upon.
Until within the last week there
had been prospects Of an abundant
hay crop, which would have meant a
great deal to the central territory
west of the river as there will be
practically no hay in the southwest.
efn quarter of the state, and that
area would look to the Bismarck dis
trict as it's closest and more cconom.
ical market. The continued drouth,
however, has set back the grass, and
1t is fast drying up. Only an immed-
late rain can save any fair proportion
of this very essential crop.
Nothing, not even continued dry
weather and hot winds, can deprive
central North Dakota of a far better
average wheat crop than it harvested
last year. The abundance of rainfall
in May, coupled with two or three
soakers in June, has advanced the
early sown wheat to a point where,
even without another rain this sea-
son, it will make better than an aver
age crop. The heads are we'll filled
out. and experienced farmers declare
there is enough moisture and nutri-
ment now stored in the stalks to
carry the grain on to maturity.
The winter rye crop in the centra'
tier of counties will be about normal.
While the straw is long and the heads
we'll filled, the stand generally is not
heavy. This is due largely to the fact
that the soil was extremely dry at
planting time last fall. This made it
impossible to properly prepare the
seed bed and deprived the newly
planted seed of the moisture neces-
sary for it's satisfactory termination
The rye harvest is now in progress
and grain in the immediate vicinity is
ranging from seven to II bushels per
acre, with an occasional excep: :ional
field which will 90 twenty or better.
It is believed the wheat yield for
this district will average better than
u bushels, including fields where the
drouth and the hoppers have left lit
tie or nothing as we'll as those where
the yield will run up to 20 and %
bushels to the acre. Flax-groWers
probably will be hardest hit. Owing
to the backward season, most of the
flax was not planted until June, too
late to take advantage of the May
rains. Much of the seed lay in the
ground for weeks without rain, and
the percentage Of termination was
small. Hot dry weather in many in
stances took the tender plants as
fast as they peeped above the ground
Fortunately, the present high price
for flax-seed promises to prevail after
harvest, and a very few bushels to
the acre will pay for the harvesting
of the crop. The establishment of a
tow mill in Bismarck by the Ameri'
can Grown Flax Fibre Operating
Corp, of New York promises to add to
the profit in this crop for the farm
ers.
Dealers in building material report
the receipt Of many orders which are
to be filled in the event of a rain
within the next few days. Should the
long sought for rain be vouchsafed
there will be an unusual amount OF
construction this fall in the contry,
where little was done during the war
The price of lumber is 80 to 80 per
cent higher than it was in 1912, but
dealers are confident that it is as
low as it will ever be again. Stuff
that sold for $50 the thousand in 1912
now brings $50, and $40 lumber then
is worth $50 now. The high wages
paid in the lumber woods and mills;
the general enforcement of the eight
hour day, which has increased the
cost of production, and the high
freight rates all are held to be fac
tors in the greatly enhanced cost to
the consumer. t.aa
There has been no proportionate in
crease in the cost of tile, brick and
cement, altho builders hardware and
paints have more than kept pace
with lumber. AS q result it is antici-
pated that clay products, stucco fin
ishes, tile, brick and cement block
will enjoy an unusual popularity
during the next few. years and that
they will gradually replace lumber al
together for exterior work.