The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-08-25
Little Agitation for Fixed
Price of Wheat Is Found in
Kansas by President of
North Dakota Agriculture
College - Cites Condition
in Winter Wheat Belt and
In the Spring Wheat Area
of the Northwest

in the Spring Wheat Area
of the Northwest
Fargo. N. D., Aug. 26.-Following
the completion Of . two weeks tour
of the winter wheat states where
he made an intensive study of the
wheat situation, DR.. ]. L. Coulter,
president of the North Dakota Agri-
cultural college sends from Calves
ton, Texas, a detailed and comprc-
hensive report Of the findings Of
his wheat study.
The report is the second of
series of statements made by the
president with the sanction Of the
Wheat Conference and the Fargo
Commercial club, in the hopes Of ar
irving at some definite conclusions
as to what may be done to better
conditions for the North Dakota
wheat farmer.
DR.. Coulter's report and letter,
dated August 18. follow:
ION August l prepared a brief
statement with reference to the
wheat crisis, to be of service to those
attending the Wheat Conference at
Fargo. A few days thereafter l lett
for tour of the winter wheat states
to make a more intensive study Of
the situation. l have had nearly two
weeks to study the problem, and pre-
sent the following points a. basis
to guide US in the spring wheat sec
tlon.
First: Winter wheat sown W..
winter wheat harvested. From 1910 to
1914 the winter wheat farmers plant
ed an average of 33,650,O00 acres per
year and abandoned 3,500,0O. acres a
year or over 10 percent. In 1912 they
abandoned almost 6,650,0OQ acres or
20 percent. From 1915 to 1919 they
planted on an average 43,280,0O0
acres per year and abandoned g.
100000 acres year or about IL per.
cent. In al9l7 they abandoned almost
| $500, 900 acres or ons.third of the
wheat planted.
Acreage Reduced
Acreage planted may therefore be
greatly reduced, varying from two
percent to IS percent Of loss. It is
not q guide to the spring wheat farm
ers. In ten years the winter wheat
! production ranged from less than 400
million bushels up to 6S5 million.
"This variation is due to three
factors: first, some winters the
wheat is winter killed over great
areas Of the best wheat land In the
winter wheat area; second, there are
millions of acres of marginal land
planted to wheat where farmers don't
get more than one or two crops out
Of each four years. They don't ex-
pect to.
Land is cheap, little preparation
is necessary, the cost per acre is low
and farmers hope for two good years
or one excellent year out of four;
third, yields vary from four to "a
bushels over the area. due to varia-
tions in growing conditions-drouth.
hot winds, diseases, pests, etc.
Conclusion: Farmers in the spring
wheat belt cannot count on any
change in the winter wheat belt. and
must plan their farming system to
fit their own conditions.
Second: Yield of winter wheat and
spring wheat. After eliminating win
ter killed acreage the farmers of the
winter wheat belt had an average
yield of 1914 bushels per acre from
1910 to 1914 and 1871 bushels Per
acre from 1915 to 1919.
"In the spring wheat belt farmers
secured averages of 12.4 bushels and
1913 bushels per acre.. The average
for winter wheat farmers was one
fourth or 26 percent greater per acre
than for spring wheat farmers fol-
10 years.
Conclusion Reached
! "Conclusion: Assuming that vari'
ations in freight rates roughly make
up for variations in land values ane
that otherwise the cost per acre ot
producing wheat is about the same
it would appear that $1,00 whea'
would mean about $3.50 per acre fol
spring wheat farmers and abou
$1,000 per acre. to winter whea
farmers. Again from this standpoint
it would seem that spring whea
farmers with such difficulties as lat'
springs, weeds, rust, ETC., not met II
the winter wheat belt must work on
their own plan to fit their condi
tions.
"Third: Winter wheat farmer
plant spring crops on winter-kille'
wheat fields. It would appear tha
| farmers in the great winter whea
belt have this advantage as whea
growers-if the wheat is winter-kille
> they are able to plant spring crop
Of small grain such oats, barley etc
+ In North Dakota and Oklahom
they may even plant cotton
4 sure that their wheat is
: failure. Hay crops such as mil
let. bronze grass, etc, are sometime
!. planted. In other words their Ian
j. il not left idle growing weeds an
;. not earning rent and taxes.
Must Change Plan
"Conclusion: I feel that in vie
Of this difference in farm problems
would seem even more important tbs
farmers Of the spring wheat belt pla
. their farm program to secure tn
q same advantages as found farths
Il south.
: "By planting wheat in rotatio
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