Morris tribune., 1921-09-02
General Liquidation Impossible, Says
Review By Bureau And State
Department.
MINNESOTA FARAr BUREAU
FEDERATION NEWS SERVICE
Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation
BY NEIL H. SWANSON
Editor News Service

al Reserve bank, are 'unWarranted'
and "colored by a desire for settle
ment of outstanding debts" the state
department of agriculture, the Min
nesota Farm Bureau federation, and
P. F. Trowbridge, director of the ex-
pertinent station of the North DakO-
to college of agriculture, declared in
a formal statement issued last week.
General liquidation from the ag-
ricultural districts this fall is utterly
impossible" the joint statement said.
Reports on threshing show that the
August l estimates of the United
States department of agriculture were
too high, rather than too low. The
time has come for the Northwest to
face the situation squarely, and to
realize that further extension of cred
it; not general liquidation, is the only
possible course. If an attempt is
made to force general liquidation, the
agriculture of the Northwest will be
seriously crippled"
81 have no desire to be anything
but optimistic" N. J. Holmberg,
state commissioner of agriculture,
said in commenting on the joint
statement, but l believe that the
public is entitled to the facts as they
have been gathered by the state de-
partment of agriculture and by the
county farm bureaus"
The statement summarized crop
conditions as follows:
Spring Wheat-One half crop, with
the quality so low in many districts
that the farmer will receive a small
return, due to the low grade.
Oats-One half crop, low quality.
Early Potatoes-Almost a total
failure, the yield running from 10 to
Is bushels per acre.
Late Potatoes-Prospects point to
a good crop, but this is almost en-
tirely dependent on moisture and
climatic conditions.
Corn-ExceHent crop, but with !
prospects for a market price that will |
not pay the cost of production.
Rye-Normal.
Minnesota crop conditions, as in
Dictated by the reports to Mr.. Holm
berg, hold true for the greater part of |
North Dakota" Mr.. Trowbridge said. |
The joint statement after summar-
izing general crop conditions, quoted |
reports received from leading farmers
in various parts of Minneapolis in re-
spouse to inquiries.
In Cass county, North Dakota, &C ,
cording to Mr.. Trowbridge, wheat
threshing shows a yield of Z to 8
bushels an acre.
''The yield does not begin to tell
the story of actual conditions" Mr..
Trowbridge said, in the section of the
statement dealing with North Dako-
ia. 1--WE do not know how low wheat
will grade. Threshing on the col
lege Of agriculture tract shows the
wheat there will weigh only 81
pounds a bushel. The milling value
may be high, but the farmers get
price based on grades.
"In the southwestern part of the
state, we know the farmers will not
get even their seed wheat back. Oats
is running only about half what it !
did last year-around 20 bushels an !
acre. 1t is evident to us at the ex-
pertinent station that the oats raised |
in North Dakota this year will net
the farmer a loss of SO to 81 an acre.
prospects for the late potato crop,
are good, but the yield depends on
rain; the early potatoes will hardly |
pay the cost of producing them. Corn |
is good in North Dakota. In fact, the |
hay crop and the corn crop are the
brightest spots in North Dakota. Most |
Of the farmers have livestock to
which they can feed their corn"
Dairy farmers in both Minnesota |
and North Dakota will be in good |
condition, the statement said. Even
in dry sections of North Dakota |
where farmers "have lost everything |
else," their dairy income will enable
them to pull through" it said.
1.-THE only liquidation of any con-
sequence that can be expected from |
the farmers of the northwest" the |
statement concluded, " will not come |
until spring, when those who feed |
livestock in the winter bring their |
stock to market. There is no posi- |
bility of general agricultural liquid
alton this fall as result of the 1921 |
harvest. If the farmers of the north
west are to be put on their feet, they
must have more credit so that they
can buy and feed livestock this win
ter; if they cannot feed the cheap
grain and hay they have raised, they
can do nothing with it. It is hardly
worth hauling to market, with the
present high freight rates.
predictions of general 1iquida-
ton are unwarranted and colored by
a desire for payment Of the farmers
debts. 1t will take three or four
wears for the farmer to pay his old