The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-04-30
NORTH DAKOTA FARM OUTLOOK
FOR MAY
BY Rex E. Willard, Farm Economist
North Dakota Agricultural,C College

was the highest for any month since
1920 and was over dollar a cwt.
higher than for any March since
1920. Stocker and feeder steers,
likewise, reached the highest point
since 1920. Receipts at the seven
principal markets were 10 per cent
less during the month than year
ago and the number Of cattle on
feed in the corn belt states was
estimated to be 3 per cent less than
last year.
Present weakness in the foreign
market, and cheap cotton seed is
tending to dcpress the lard market
and indications are that last years
high prices may not quite be reached,
either for spring or fall.
Prices at Chicago averaged SLIPS
in March compared to $l1.73 in
February and $11.57 in December
and 1920 in March, 1926. The aver
age farm price Of hogs on farms in
North Dakota on March Is was 5000.
The Fargo price Of hogs has ranged
from $1,000 to SLIPS per cwt. during
the first two weeks Of April. Pork
was slightly higher through the win
ter, while lard was about Is per cent
lower than year ago. Exports of
pork during the past winter were 40
per cent less than year ago and lard
IL per cent less. The foreign mar.
ket has been weak and declining since
last fall.
No such temporary advance in
price as took place in June last year
is expected this year. The advance
which began in February continued
through March and was as much as
$500 per cwt. higher than at the
beginning of the year. Fargo prices
Of top lambs were $500 per cwt
from April 6 to IL. The recent ad-
in supplies from Colorado and west
crn Nebraska.
No material change in the wool
market is expected in the next few
months. Some wool producing coun.
tries show slightly increased sup.
plies, but shipments from Argentina
have been slightly less than for a
year ago. The average price Of wool
in the grease in the United States
on March Is was 31.3 cents per
pound which is a slight increase over
February. For North Dakota the
average price was &c cents.
While the butter market appears
strong, the trade is operating with
care because Of the ncarness of the
spring increase in production and
consequent price recession which
normally occurs.
There has been very low seasonal
production lately and there arc
practically no storage reserves
March prices at New York were Z I'd
cents higher than year ago. Some
foreign shipments have come into
the United States due to the wide
spread between the United States anG
foreign prices. The average price OF
butterfat on farms in the United
States was AZ cents on March l;
and was Al cents in North Dakota
The seasonal drop in butterfat price!
| may be expected as soon as the higl
spring production begins.
The Seed Situation
The scarcity and high price Of
some seeds will doubtless retar,
planting of certain crops in NORTH
Dakota this spring. There appear
to be some reduction in the price o
ssed corn from earlier quotations bu
this is probably due to a lowering o
the quality particularly with respc,
to adaptation to North Dakota condi
tions. Quite large quantities Of swee
clover seed have been imported from
canada in the past few weeks.
The center of the sweet Glove
seed production area is in the Da
kotas, Nebraska; Oklahoma, Utah
Nevada. States importing seed pa.
higher prices. Fancy Grimm alfalf
seed is retailing at 35 cents an
Linota flax, one Of the best will
resistant varieties, at about $500
Good seed is listed by the Pure See
Laboratory at the North Dakot
Agricultural college.