The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-07-18
CROP REPORTS HAVE
BEEN EXAGGERATED
Montana Head of r. G.. Dunn 4 Co.,
Mercantile Agency, Asserts Con-
ditions Better than Reported.

AItoI COlupIcClilS a CAlP SoFSAHS "
most all of central Montana from the
Idaho line we'll toward the Dakota
line, Philip S. Rush, state manager Tor
r. G.. Dun & Co., has issued a state
ment in which he expresses the be-
lief that to a certain extent crop con-
ditions in Montana have been eXagger-
ated.
at is true" the statement says,
"that Montana is not going to harvest
anything like the crop expected, n
the total yield of grasses, grains, ETC.,
will be far below normal, but it is not
true that the crops in the state are
a complete failure this year. On the
other hand; there are going to be small
crops throughout almost the whole
state, and in some Of the irrigated dis
tricts there will be a reasonably good
yield of spring wheat and of hay. Po-
tatoes also promise a reasonably good
yield, and in the extreme eastern end
of the state corn is doing nicely, and
the acreage in corn this year is large.
In the western section of the state,
fruit crop also looks favorable for a
fair yield.
"There are spots, and some Of them
very large, where the grains have
been almost completely burned up by
the unusually hot weather of the last
few weeks, but recent light rains have
prevented the complete destruction Of
many fields, and in the eastern end of
the state rains have been sufficient
to start the grass which apparently
was parched dry.
1.-THE condition in Montana is at this
time far from favorable, and compar-
ed with early spring expectations the
crop yield will be light, but in this
connection it should not be forgotten
that the average grain crops, per acre,
in Montana is far above the average
for the United States, and what is
considered only a half crop of wheat,
oats and rye in Montana equals the
average fixed by the department of
agriculture for the entire country.
81 found that the cattle situation
was attracting much attention in the
eastern section of the state. Montana's
drouth has been heralded far and
wide by eastern papers, and exagger-
ated stories have done the state in
estimable harm. During the last
couple of weeks, there have been many
cattle buyers in eastern Montana, Of
fering unreasonably low prices for cat
tie, and some sales have been made.
The buyers + taking advantage Of
the frightened condition of the farm
ers. In some other places cattle are
being shipped out for feeding, but the
number of cattle and sheep actually
shipped out for feeding thus far is
not as great as indicated by the St.
Paul dispatches. Furthermore, there
is a serious question whether hay will
be any cheaper in Minnesota this Win
ter than in Montana. Range cattle in
eastern Montana are in better condi-
ton than l expected to find them, al
though water is very scarce.
Business conditions throughout
Montana are not in agreement with
the radical crop failure views. Bust
ness is better in some sections than in
others, and there are several locali-
ties where business is now very qui-
ct, but wholesalers generally report a
good volume of sales, with collections
running better than would be usually
under conditions such as at present.
Dun's failure statistics for the first
six months of 1919 also indicate that
business in the state is not as bad as
some have claimed. From January
l to July l, 1919, there were but 80
commercial or mercantile failures in
Montana, as against as in the cor
responding period of 1913, and 81 dur
ing the first six months of 1917. So
Tar as failures throughout the United
States are concerned, they are, accord
ing to Dun's figures, smaller than for
any corresponding period since 1881,
and the total liabilities of those fail
ing this year are only about 80 per
cent as great in dollars as those fail
ing in the first six months of 1915.
Montana has had no real large bust
ness failures this year"