Williston graphic., 1919-01-23
GOVERNMENT CROP REPORT

1918 crop review for North Dakota
with final acreage and production
estimates for North Dakota and for
the United States as compiled by the
U. S. Bureau of Crop Estimates, De-
partment Of Agriculture.
A review Of the 1918 season dis
closes generous and patriotic re-
sponse by the N. D. farmers to the
nations call for a greater acreage of
food stuffs. The cultivated acreage
in N. D. this season was 100000
acres of food stuffs. The acreage of
1917 by 1,365,O0O acres, or an in
crease of about 9 per cent. These
acreage figures best show the great
effort put forth by the farmers.
Credit is also due to County Agricul
tural agents, business firms, and peo-
pie of the cities and towns over the
state who at harvest materially aid
ed to make this splendid war record
complete. This increased acreage
was entirely confined to the bread
food crops, wheat and rye. Wheat
showed an unusually heavy increase
of II per cent. Rye acreage showed
tremendous increase of practically
100 per cent over the harvested
acreage in 1917 Notwithstanding the
fact that slightly more than 10 per
, cent of the fall planted acreage was
plowed down last spring. North Da-
kota leads the United States this sea-
son in the harvested acreage of all
wheat, barley, rye and flax.
1918 spring opened up extremely
early and the soil remained nearly
ideal for field work. A record amount
of plowing and seeding was complet-
ed by May 1st. Heavy winds of un-
usually long duration and severe
frosts up to May 18th caused small
loss of acreage on the lighter soils
( and gave all crops an unfavorable
appearance. Early seeding however
had given grains a deep vigorous root
growth and following the late May
rains all crops showed wonderful re-
covery. The state crop outlook for
June 1st was favorable. Drought
conditions followed up to July 10th
over the western half of the state
which was undergoing it's second year
of soil moisture deficiency and grad
ually reduced crop prospects in this
area to either moderate or low yields.
Crops in northwestern counties were
especially poor. Drought conditions
were much less severe in most OF
the eastern half of the state and with
the advent Of late July rains, nearly
all crops and especially wheat made
a noticetably quick recovery. Wheat
yields in most counties of, the east
ern third of the state averaged
around normal crop and several
valley county averages exceeded nor
NAL. In a general way all crops ex-
cept corn and potatoes tapered from
favorable in eastern to light yields
in western counties.
Wheat came thru the season bet
ter than any other crop Wheat, bar
ley and potato yields were slightly
above the ten year average. Other
County average yields range from
eastern to western counties is about
as follows: Wheat II to 20 bus in
east to 6 to 9 bus in the west; oats
25 to 35 bus in east to IL to 20 bus
in west; barley rs to 80 bus in east
to IL to 20 bus in the west; rye IL
to II bus n east to 6 to 9 bus in west;
tame hay 1.3 tons in east to .85 of
a ton in west; potato yields ranged
from 125 bus in northern to about
|65 bus in southern counties; corn
ranged from fodder in northern to
20 to rs bus in southern counties.
The season was too dry for oats and
: yields were disappointing as rule.
A considerable acreage of oats was
to grasshoppers in the southwest and
cut for hay in western sections due
lateness of growth after July rains
together with hay shortage in the
northwest. Barley production was
fairly heavy as the heavier part of
the acreage is located in the eastern
third of the state. Spring and early
summer were too dry and cold for
rye, especially dry in the heary rye
acreage counties. State yield notice
ably below average. Flax very ia
vorable in eastern but spotted and
often extremely poor in western
eook;orc o;%ho,r c,,o IN rro Shonnorc