The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-05-18
s. A BUSHEL FOR
MONTANA WHEAT
THAT is THE PREDICTION OF
@. w. HALBERT, WISE IN
THE GRAIN TRADE
Heavy Rains Have Retarded Seeding
in the Red River Country for Sew
eraI Weeks; Shortage ON Outside
is General.

Two dollars a bushel for Mon
tana's wheat crop in 1928!
That is the prediction made by
@. w. HaIbert of st. Paul, who has
been associated with the wheat
market at Minneapolis for seVeraI
years and who has just completed
a trip that included points in Min
nesota and the Dakotss.
On this trip Mr.. Harbert talked
with farmers and business men in
virtually all of the towns on the
Great Northern from Fargo west
through North Dakota. His estim-
ate is based on these talks, as well
as on observation of conditions
along the way.
cat this time of year it is always
difficult to estimate the acreage and
what the conditions are to be-" he
said. "But with the report of con-
ditions in Kansas and Nebraska and
an undeniable cut in the acreage in
the Dakotas, cannot but see short
age of hard wheat this year.
'The heavy rains this season in the
Red river valley has retarded seeding
there by weeks. There was guam
tity of blowing last fall and all along
the way can be seen fields plowed,
but not yet seeded. 1t has been SO
wet that it has been impossible to get
the work done on time in the fields.
''To the man who is familiar with
the usual wheat conditions in North
Dakota, it means much when he sees
the crop conditions in the lied river
valley and in western North Dakota
at the same point. The Red river
valley is always weeks ahead OF west
ern North Dakota. This is the hrst
time that I can remember seeing the
Red river valley as late in seeding
as the western part of the state.
Rust Big Factor
"Out here, of course, you don't
have rust, seemingly no matter how
late you seed, but with late seeding
1 hesitate to say what would be the
inroads of rust in the Red river valley
under the right conditions of run and
rain in the early summer.
"You can see from this that the
acreage in the Red river valley will
be below normal. All along the Great |
Northern through the state, farmers
made estimates of acreage that show
ed extensive cuts in acres. They
fear, first of all, the labor situation.
They are afraid that the labor will !
not be available. Then, of course,
they do not know the market.
lizard winter wheat is going to be
scarce this season and hard spring
of Montana quality is going to find
a market that is eager to get it. The
premiums paid this year is an indica-
ton of the place on the market that
Montana hard spring carries and
cannot but see that the premium will
be bigger next year.
Outlook for Montana
"The only question would be that
The present crop conditions in the
northwest might lead to an increase
yet in the wheat acreage. 1t is now
20 late that this seems hardly pos
sible. AS / say, it is difficult to es-
innate wheat acreage with exactness {
1t this season. The opinion seems :
to be that Montana wheat acreage
will be about the same as last year; :
some place it lower and some higher.
The increase, if these is such, will be .
n spring wheat. OF the 100000
bushels that Montana raised last year
oy far the greater part was spring c
wheat. The percentage of spring
wheat will probably be greater this /
rear.
due to conditions, and especially
he depleted crop, together with the /
iuty on imported wheat, 1 believe i
hat it will be better year for the '
farmers of Montana who make a crop l
han was last year"
Mr.. Halbert' is in Montana in the {
interests of Minneapolis and St.
Paul men who hold acreage in Mon {
ana oil fields. Mr.. Halbert gives '
most of his time to the oil interests {
If himself and associates. {