The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-06-06
BILLION BUSHEL WHEAT CROP
MAY CONGEST ALL STORAGE

With wheat crop of over billion
bushels in prospect in the United
States this season-the greatest crop
the country has ever produced--the
need for efforts by farmers and ell
evator companies to market and store
the grain with the least possible loss
and congestion of traffic is impress
cd by the Burcau of Markets of the
United States Department of Agri-
culture. In calling attention to this
great marketing problem the depart
ment sayC that every possible meas
ure should be taken to insure the safe
storage and handling of this enor-
nous crop.
Last year, with a crop of about
900, 900, 900 bushels, the rushing of the
grain to the market Immediately at
ter harvest caused n congestion ell
the way from tie terminal market to
the farm. TIE wheat "backed up
after the terminal elevators were full
and congested the railroads and all
country elevators. The result was
that embargoes were placed on further
shipments until the terminals could be
cleared. Fortunately, the winter was
an open one or the loss due to lack OF
proper storage would have been heavy.
North Dakota Congestion Recalled
Attention is called by the Bureau of
Markets to the situation that pre-
vailed in North Dakota in the winter
of 1856, following crop in that
State of 150,000,000 bushels. Owing
to a congestion of elevators at coun-
ty stations, due to the inability of the
railroads carry the wheat away as
rapidly as the farmers hauled it in
platforms were built and hundreds OF
thousands of bushels of wheat were
piled up in the open. In addition
great quantities of wheat were stored
in improvised bins.
One result of this condition was that
during the following summer many
farmers provided themselves with gal
vanized iron storage tanks on their
farms.
In Washington and Oregon, last
year and in 1917, many farmers built
portable wooden storage bins to hold
about 1000 bushels each.
Stacking a Partial Solution
In some parts Of the country last
summer, especially in Indiana, for ex'
ample, stacking was feature OF CROP
handling where it never had been be-
fore. Stacking is partial solution OF
the grain-congestion problem which
every farmer can apply. Furthermore
he is likely to be gamer by the prac'
tice, for wheat that sweats in the
stack, except during an unusually dry
harvest season, will be of better quail
ity than if threshed from the, shock
| If stacked at once after harvest
weather permitting, the farmer may
then thresh and market the wheat al
his convenience. There is the fur
Their advantage that the wheat will
no deterioratet should rains come, as
it would do in the shock. As mar
keting proposition, stacking as soon Of
the wheat has become thoroughly dry
after harvest is good business, par
ticularly with a billion-bushel CROP
and congested storage facilities ii
sight.
Offers Plans for Granaries
Farmers should consider the ques
ton of providing themselves with
storage facilities. Provisions may b.
made to store wheat in buildings al
ready constructed on farm granarie!
and portable bins may be provided
The United States Department of Ag
riculture has specifications for port
able farm granary, issued as Markets
Document No. IL.
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