The Mankato free press., 1921-03-11
CROP REPORT

Fergus Falls, Mimi, March 8, Of
flee of Minnesota Agricultural Stats
tician.-According to the government
report Of the bureau of crop esti-
mates, made public today through the
Minnesota agricultural statistician,
the percentage of corn, wheat, oats
and barley on Minnesota farms as of
March / is somewhat greater than for
average years. The factors causing
larger reserves in Minnesota, accor'
ing to the report, are, primarily, low
prices of grain, Supplemented particu-
larly in the case of corn, oats and bar
ley by an open, mild winter, and few
er live stock on farms to feed.
The report calls attention to the
fact that marketings have been slow
and in small quantities compared to
former years so that there is a dan
ger of over estimating stocks or grain.
The custom this year, except Ia cases
of renters and those forced to sell and
those wise enough to foresee reduc-
tion in prices was to market grain,
when money was needed.
1t is estimated that in Minnesota
there remained on farms thirty five
per cent Of all wheat, or 10,191.0
bushels compared to twenty three per
cent or S,352,00 bushels one year ago.
The report estimates sixty per cent OF
the crop this year is shipped out of
the county where grown compared to
sixty per cent one year ago..
The mild winter and fewer live
stock to feed together with low prices
The report indicates on March 1, IT,
year there was forty one per cent or
4S,431, 900 bushels of the crop still on
farms, compared to twenty eight per
cent or 32,480,000 bushels March /,
1920. The merchantable quality of the
1920 crop is high, being ninety one
per cent. The report also indicates
that twenty two per cent of the crop
this year was shipped out Of the coun-
ty where grown. ...
Reserves of oats are placed at for
ty- eight per cent or 60,714, 900 bushels
compared to thirty seven per cent or
33, $500 bushels on March 1, 1920.
Twenty nine per cent Is estimated as
being shipped out of the county where
grown. .
The amount of barley still on farms
March 1, 1921, is placed at thirty sew
en- per cent or 9,250,000 compared to
bushels one year ago. The per cent
of barley shipped out of the county
where grown this year is estimated at
forty per cent.
Another interesting feature of the
report is the estimates of values of
plow lands and cash rents. The re-
port indicates but little change in
prices of farm lands from one year
ago, but states that at these prices
very little land is being sold. For Min
nesota the average price of poor plow
lands is estimated at $73 per acre,
which is the same as one year ago.
Good plow lands at slightly higher
value this year, being $123 compared
to $120 last year. The value per acre
of all plow lands is placed at $1O3 per
acre compared to 500 last year. The
average value of all farm lands with
improvements this year is S130 com
pared to $124 last year and without
improvements $95 compared to S93
one year ago. The report estimates
the average cash rent paid for a typi-
cal rented farm in Minnesota to be
$3.50 per acre, while the average acre
value of such farm is $125 per acre
and the average size of the farm is
14S acres. The average cash rent
paid for plow fields per acre is plac-
ed at $6.5S while the average value of
such fields is $131 per acre.